


The Princess and the Paladin

by MagiesHeartLove



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Action, Adopted babies, Adventure, Canon Rewrite, Established Relationship, F/M, Fix Fic, Fluffy Romance, Innocent love, Rewrite, Romance, Vootron AU, slow burn plance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-20
Updated: 2019-08-20
Packaged: 2020-09-19 02:35:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 28
Words: 214,632
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20323684
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MagiesHeartLove/pseuds/MagiesHeartLove
Summary: We all know how Allura met the Paladins of Voltron an became an unlikely family. But, what if she had met one of them beforehand? What if, by some crazy twist of fate, an unexpected friendship blossomed into something more?A retelling of seasons 1-3 of Voltron, with a twist. What if Keith and Allura were a couple before the beginning of the series?





	1. Chapter 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> We all know the story of the paladins of Voltron, and how the story ended. 
> 
> Or, do we?
> 
> Perhaps and Garrison dropout and a lost alien princess can shed some light on a different side of things.

Everything happened so fast. Almost as fast as tidal wave. Before he could even utter a word in protest, Keith found himself riding on the Blue Lion itself, along with his long lost best friend, originally presumed dead for over a year, and three strangers from the place from which he had been kicked out. Or, at the very least, they felt like strangers to him, despite somewhat remembering Lance, though it did take needing for the latter to spell it out for Keith in order to recognize him.

Even from within the beast, Keith could feel the same energy he felt numerous times in the desert. After all this time searching, he finally found what he had been looking for. While everybody were completely clueless as to where they were heading, Keith already had an idea. Even if he had yet to inform anyone.

He had been debating on wether or not to tell to them what he already knew of the beast. Even that fight with the Galra ship didn't help with his decision making. It took every ounce of his willpower not to mutter the name of the aliens out loud upon spotting the ship. There was no mistaking it. The sinister purple glow was a dead giveaway.

Keith's voice was lost when the wormhole opened and they traveled inside, narrowly escaping the Galra ship and exiting through the other side. A planet similar to earth in appearance laid ahead. Keith kept steady at the sight, even when the fat boy, Hunk, puked right then and there. The lion flew at top speed towards the planet. Keith's heart pounded against his chest, harder and harder with every breath once the lion finally landed, now standing before a large, shimmering castle. His eyes widened and he tightened his grip onto the head of Lance's chair. When the lion's mouth opened, Keith was tempted to dash out, which he did. Out of all of them, he was the first to exit at top speed, coming to an abrupt halt once he stood before the castle's large doors.

Shiro called out his name, but his voice could not rival the intense pounding in Keith's chest. He tentatively rose a shaking hand, taking in deep breaths until the lion roared. The sound opened the doors automatically, the outlines glowing a bright neon blue. The interior of the castle was dark and cold, completely devoid of life. The doors closed shut once they had all entered. The ceiling lights switched on and a shimmering blue wave scanned their bodies for identification and the castle illuminated with a bright light. Keith inconspicuously pinched himself just to make sure he wasn't dreaming. Thankfully, and much to his secret joy, he wasn't.

Keith's legs reacted to his curiosity and headed forward, nearly forgetting the company that came with him. Everyone else had moved at the same time he did, which made his eagerness go completely unnoticed. Not a single element of this large, captivating castle went by without a bell sounding off in Keith's memory. Everybody else gazed in curiosity, but Keith looked on with familiarity. He traced his fingers across the wall's surface, the cold metal brushing against his fingertips. He blinked and squinted numerous times just to make sure he wasn't hallucinating. All thoughts of what he would tell the others were placed on hold, for right now he was too overwhelmed to even speak.

A wondrous smile formed across his lips and his eyes sparkled with a child-like wonder and tearful glee. Shiro was the first to notice his friend's stone cold silence.

"Keith, are you okay?"

"Huh?" Keith blinked, Shiro's voice bringing him back to reality. "Uh, yeah, I'm fine. Just…this place is really beautiful."

That wasn't a lie. Indeed, the palace was beautiful, but there was yet so much more as to why Keith felt so overwhelmed and nostalgic over the place. Upon reaching what appeared to be the central control room. The control panel lit up and two pods rose from the floor, bringing in a chilling mist as they rose. Keith stood almost as frozen as the silhouettes of the people inside. One of the pods shimmered, revealing a stunning young woman wearing a blue, white and pink gown. Her skin was dark brown and her hair was that of stardust, long and flowing behind her like sea foam. She gasped and reached out her hand, calling out for her father before loosing her footing. Lance, being the closest, managed to catch her before she hit the ground. Upon looking at her closely, Lance immediately blushed and smiled flirtatiously.

"Hello." he said, flashing her a toothy smile.

"Who are you? Where am I?" she asked, looking around, completely unfazed by his charms.

"I'm Lance. And you're right here in my arms." he said smoothly. The young woman finally caught wind of his attempts and her instincts kicked in. Before he even had time to respond, Lance was forced to his knees when the woman grabbed him by the ear, twisting him around, gripping his rounded ear tightly. He cried out in pain, tears already forming in his eyes.

"Who are you? Where is King Alfor? What are you doing in my castle?"

"A giant blue lion brought us here, that's all we know!"

Upon hearing this, the woman released him. "The blue lion? So, that means…" her blue eyes, which had a pink dot in the center of her pupils, looked up at the rest of the unknown visitors. However, her gaze fell upon one young man in particular. His white and red jacket and mesmerizing eyes caused her heart to jump. Her body was still, the two of them staring directly at one another as if they had seen a ghost from the past.

The woman gently shoved Lance aside, never once taking her eyes off of Keith as the two stepped closer, like magnets being pulled together. Tears began to swell up in her eyes, but the vision of the man remained clear. She rose a tentative hand upwards to cup his face, her thumb gently stroking his cheek and the tips of her fingers being tickled by the strands of his dark, unkept hair. A soft smile formed across Keith's lips as he stepped closer, reaching out both his hands to equally cup the woman's face, his thumb wiping away the single tear that escaped.

"Keith…is it really you?" she asked with a hopeful smile.

"It's me, Allura." he said in that soft, caring tone he always used. As fast as lightning, the woman, wrapped her arms around him, burying her face into the crock of his neck. Keith wrapped his arms tightly around her waist, lifting her up from the ground and spinning around a few times before stopping. His chin rested on her shoulder, while his hand rose upwards from her waist to stroke her long silver locks. Allura gazed into Keith's eyes, still tearing up, but beaming all the same.

"You're here!"

"I told you I'd find you." he said. Allura cupped his neck and collided her lips with his, all the while holding tighter, fearing if either one of them let go the other would be lost forever. Their heads tilted, deepening the kiss. A kiss filled with so much passion and emotion.

Shiro, Hunk, Lance and Pidge felt like their brains just blew a fuse. Keith was kissing, or pretty much "making-out" as Lance would place it, with some mysterious woman he apparently knew?

"Whoa! K-Keith?" Shiro didn't know if to just start asking as many questions as he could think of, or to simply chuckle with pride for his friend. He would most certainly do the latter, if he knew more of what the heck was going on.

"Hey! I saw her first!" Lance exclaimed, already feeling his anger and jealousy rising up the charts.

Finally, the two love birds parted and turned to the others. While Allura looked at the strangers with an innocent look of curiosity, Keith chuckled nervously, his face as red as his jacket. "Um, guys, this is Princess Allura."

"Allura?" Shiro asked, having heard that name before. "Wait, Allura as in the girl you met online?"

"Well, yes and no." Keith confessed, one hand scratching the back of his neck, while the other was wrapped around Allura's waist, her hand on his chest. "It's kind of hard to explain." he turned to the silver haired woman. "Allura, this is Shiro."

"Shiro? He's alive?" she asked, blinking in surprise.

"You know me?" Shiro asked in surprise.

"Keith's told me all about you."

"How do you even know Keith?!" Lance asked, more like shouted actually. "How-when-why? _What is going on here?!_"

Allura gasped. "He's right." her hand gently slid away from Keith and towards the control panel. "I've got to find out where we are, and how long we've been asleep." Allura approached the control panel, which immediately activated once she placed her hands on both sides of the surface.

"Okay, that's how that works." Pidge said, surprised and still rather perplexed by the situation.

A second cyro-pod opened up, revealing an older man with lighter skin and red hair and mustache. He also sported the same pointed ears as Allura, but his facial markings were blue instead of pink. Upon seeing Lance he lunged to attack, only to loose balance and nearly trip. Keith only arched an eyebrow at the strange man who tried to intimate Lance, and vice versa.

"Is that…?"

"Yes." Allura replied, sharing Keith's deadpan expression. Once she had finished reading the data on the screen, her heart sank. "No…it can't be."

"What is it?" Coran asked.

"I hoped this wasn't the case." Allura's voice cracked, likely because of the tears that began to form in her eyes. "We've been asleep for ten thousand years!"

Silence filled the room as hot tears rolled down the princess's cheeks. Keith's first reaction was to wrap a consoling arm around her, which Allura responded by hugging him, crying onto his shoulder. Keith didn't say a word, but simply wrapped his arms around the weeping, heartbroken princess.

"I should have known this would happen." she weeped, speaking mainly to Keith since he was the only one who knew of all of this. "Planet Altea, my father, our entire civilization…they're all gone."

"Allura, I'm so sorry." Keith whispered, feeling his own heart being torn as well. As someone who had lost people he loved, he understood her pain better than anyone. Coran lowered his head in despair, mourning the loss of his people.

Keith gently wiped away Allura's tears, but their arms remain wrapped around each other. They have waited this long to finally meet in person, even with this devastating, yet somewhat inevitable revelation Allura refused to forget the one good thing about all of this.

"Zarkon will pay for this!" Allura hissed, narrowing her eyes as tears continued to roll down her eyes.

Shiro gasped upon hearing the name and memories flashed in his mind. "Zarkon?"

"He was the king of the Galra. A vile creature. An enemy to all free people!"

"I remember now. I was his prisoner."

"What? He's still alive? Impossible!"

"I can't explain it but it's true. He's searching for a super weapon called Vol--"

"Voltron. We know." Keith finished for him, which surprised Shiro. "That's because he knows it's the only thing that can defeat him."

"Wait, how do you know that?" Lance asked suspiciously while narrowing his eyes at Keith. "What's going on here? And how the heck do you know _her?!_"

Allura turned curiously to Keith. "You haven't told them?"

"I've been trying to, but I wasn't sure how they would handle it."

"Handle what?" Shiro asked, looking rather concerned. "Keith, what's going on?"

Keith breathed in and out, with one arm still around Allura's waist and her hand was placed right behind his shoulder blades as he addressed to the team.

"Alright.”

_(~)_

_The day ended as it always did. With Keith passing with flying colors and then retreating to his room. He was thankful he was assigned the few dorms that didn't require a roommate. Given what a nuisance several of the other Garison students were made him far more grateful of the arrangement._

_Before he could turn in for a good night's rest, someone grabbed him by the arm. "Great work back there, Keith."_

_"Thanks, Shiro."_

_"Hey, a few of the guys are having a little get together in the cafeteria. It's friday, so you know what that means, don't you? Pizza night!"_

_"Thanks, but I already ate a big dinner and I'm really tired."_

_"Come on, it's the one night of the week where curfew is at midnight."_

_"I apreciate it, really, but you know I'm not much of a…crowd person. Besides, it's also football season and the last thing I want is folks blasting my ears off whenever a quarterback makes a touchdown."_

_Just as Keith was about to turn around, Shiro stopped him again. "Keith, I know it's hard for you to socialize, but it's not healthy for someone to constantly be alone all the time."_

_"I'm not alone, I've got you."_

_"Yes, but remember I'm not going to be around forever. You're a bright kid, Keith, that much is true. But don't be afraid to step out of your comfort zone every once in a while, okay?"_

_Keith turned his gaze to the floor. He never liked disappointing Shiro, who he admired like a big brother, and was someone he thrived to become one day, but he knew that "stepping out of his comfort zone" was not an easy task._

_"I'll… think about it."_

_"Don't say "I'll think about it" and then not do anything."_

_"No, really. This time, I promise I'll try and meet someone else. You have my word." Keith crossed his heart as a visible sign of this promise, though in his head he was screaming "what have I gotten myself into?"_

_Shiro simply chuckled softly. "Alright. Well, I'll leave you to it. Good night."_

_"Night." Keith waved farewell and opened his door. Dropping his backpack he sighed and leaned against the now closed metal door. He was too tired to even argue about the arrangement. He knew Shiro meant well, but sometimes he could be as overbearing as a mother. Well, at least he was thankful to have someone to look after him, who knows how his life would have been like if someone like Shiro hasn't swooped in._

_Still, even with that blessing, Keith was still miles away from become what so many others expected him to be._

_He brushed it all aside and simply prepared for bed. Once he turned off the lights it didn't take long for his to drift off to slumberland. His hand slid from the side of the bed, hanging over the mysterious blade Keith possessed, which laid on the floor. His fingers barely brushing the surface._

_Once he opened his eyes, Keith felt a strange sensation. An odd mixture of heaviness and lightness all at the same time. The soft blades of grass tickled his nose and cheek, and much to his surprise. He still wore his pajamas, which were a pair of gray pants and a simple sleeveless black shirt._

_He jolted upwards in shock to find that he was no longer in his bed, or even at the Garrison, but in a lush green field surrounded by the most beautiful violet flowers he had ever seen. The sky was a crystal clear blue, though more cyan than anything, with large fluffy clouds looming overhead. Despite the daytime atmosphere, there appeared to be no sun to be seen in the sky, which was peculiar. Then again, all things in a dream were peculiar._

_Far off into the distance were miles and miles of large mountain ranges. The place felt so wide and large, it made Keith feel right at home. He loved the outdoors, mainly for its silence and beauty. It was one of the reasons why he would often run off to the desert on his bike and explore the caves or simply to sit by a lone rock and watch the small reptilian wildlife in its natural habitat, or gaze at the exotic flowers that grew in the heat._

_His hands brushed the surface of the grass in between his fingers. He could even feel the individual blades of grass as if they were real. In fact, everything felt real._

_"Am… am I dreaming?" he asked himself. He pinched his right arm, shocked to realize he did in fact feel some kind of pain. He tried again, this time pinching harder, and he literally yelped in pain at how hard he was pinching himself. He even went so much as to slap his face, really, really hard, which no doubt left a red mark right on his cheek. He wasn't dreaming._

_"How is this possible?"_

_His free hand felt something metallic against his fingertips and realized his knife had made the journey with him. At least, if anything happened, he would have something to defend himself with._

_Keith stood up, his bare feet touching the soft ground, and started looking around for any signs of light. He walked a few feet ahead, only to stop midway on top a very small floral hill. A gentle breeze made the rare flowers dance in the wind and slightly brush against his bangs._

_Not too far ahead, he spotted another person, apparently petting some kind of dear-like animal, with unsettling black as tar eyes. Keith had never seen a dear like that before, but even stranger still was the person a few feet away from him. Keith hid behind a lone tree and peeked behind it. Pink flower petals fell gently from the tree branches and around the stranger._

_It was a woman, no more than around Keith's age, probably a couple years older, wearing a long flowing white and blue dress with a long cape, colored white and pink underneath it. Her hair was long and wavy like the ocean foam and her skin was dark brown. Around the corner of her eyes were pink markings. A buzzer feature, but even more bizarre still were her ears, which were pointed like that of the elves from fairytales. A pair of purple triangle-like earrings dangled from her ears, with no apparently connection between them. It was as if the earrings just levitated underneath her ears._

_When she turned forward, the strange black-eyed deer still by her side and Keith hid deeper behind the tree as not to frighten her, or to make certain she wasn't a threat, he took notice of her eyes. From afar, they appeared as blue as the sky. While this was something he never admitted to anyone, even Shiro because of how embarrassing it sounded but…Keith was a total sucker for blue eyes. There was just something about the color that said so much about the individual. It may have sounded shallow to many, but something about this mysteriously strange woman's eyes just intrigued him._

_His cover was blown the moment those eyes landed on the tree and the woman gasped. In a burst of sparkling blue particles the woman vanished from sight. Keith took a step forward from the tree, looking at the now empty space in confusion. The deer remained still, unmoving as if it were now nothing but a stuffed statue._

_Keith cried out in pain when an his shoulder was tightly gripped and his entire body was thrown to the ground with a single throw. Keith landed hard on his back, he winced in pain. Instinctively, his hand reached for his knife, only to realize that his attack was now in possession of it._

_"Who are you? Where did you come from?" the mysterious white-haired woman asked, pointing Keith's own knife directly at his neck. Her blue eyes now burned with a fervid fire that Keith recognized many times from whenever he needed to defend himself in the past._

_This woman was not someone Keith should underestimate._


	2. Chapter 2

_"I said; Who are you? Answer me!" the woman repeated, throwing in a slight hiss to her threat. She held the knife like a pro, and given her posture Keith could confidently assume this woman was an experienced fighter._

_Keith gave a slight gulp, his eyes darting back and forth between the knife and the woman. "Alright, look, just calm down. I don't mean you any harm." he said, trying to reason with the woman._

_If she really was a threat she would have tried to slice his throat by now, but instead she held him at gun point (or "knife" point in this case), as if daring him to make the first move before she did._

_"Then how did you get in here?" she asked, still with that tone of fearless authority. Her light british accent, as lovely as it sounded, only heightened the intimidation. "Nobody else can enter the Astral Plane!"_

_"Astral Plane?" Keith asked in confusion. "What are you—?"_

_"Are you aligned with the Galra?" she asked, taking a tentative step fforward. The tip of the knife now hovering only a small inch away from his neck. "Did Zarkon send you?"_

_"Who? Look, lady, I don't know who you are, or "what" you are or even where I am! All I know is that I fell asleep and I woke up here."_

_"A likely story."_

_"I'm telling the truth!"_

_"Give me one good reason why I should believe you?"_

_Keith was drawing a blank here. What could he do to prove to her he wasn't a threat? Then, it hit him. "If I was a threat, then why haven't I hurt you already?"_

_"Because I am in current possession of your weapon." she replied matter-of-factly. "Who's to say you wouldn't have attacked me once you got a clear shot?"_

_This girl was good, Keith would give her that much._

_"Unless you tell me exactly who you are and what you want in the next two tics, I will slice your throat."_

_Keith concluded there was no negotiating with this woman. Normally, he wouldn't hit one of the opposite sex unless it was completely necessary. This, definitely qualified as necessary._

_"One…"_

_His eyes darted towards the woman's feet as she stepped closer, the blade's tip now pressing gently against Keith's neck._

_"Two…"_

_Seeing his chance, Keith tripped the woman with his leg, flipped over and grabbed the knife, which flew right out of her hand as she fell to the ground with a loud yelp. The blade landed almost flawlessly into his palm._

_The woman looked up at Keith, her eyes burning holes into his scull. "You slimy dopherbarg!" she snapped._

_Keith blinked. "I don't know what that word means, but I'm pretty sure it was an insult."_

_The woman jumped back on her feet. With one hand behind her back, something materialized in her palm. She let out an almost barbaric yell and lunged toward Keith, wielding a knife of her own. The handle was white with golden outlines and the knife itself was a cyan blue, illuminating with a dim neon glow._

_Instinctively, Keith blocked the attack with his own knife. Pretty soon, the two fighters were battling it out, their respected blades clashing with one another. Sparks flew every time the two metal weapons collided in a fit of furry from the silver haired woman. She moved incredibly fast and agile for someone in a long dress._

_She tried to cut Keith, but he nimbly leaned back, narrowly missing his nose. He ran around the woman, attempting to kick her down, until she flipped over him with ease, her feet hitting his back and he was pushed forward. The woman landed gracefully, her long skirt rising a bit to reveal she was wearing dark blue leggings underneath and long white boots with golden trims._

_The woman attempted to attack again and Keith blocked it with his knife. The two struggled to gain dominance, both grunting and attempting to overpower the other by pushing harder against their blades._

_"You're pretty good." Keith compliment. A small smile formed across his face, which only infuriated the woman._

_"Don't taunt me." she threatened._

_"I'm not taunting, I mean it." Keith replied genuinely, his smile fading. A spark of concern flashed before his indigo eyes, which the woman caught. For a brief moment, she noticed their beautiful shade of indigo. She had never seen that type of eye color before, not even on Alteans. Still, it wasn't enough to distract her from the battle. She managed to overpower Keith and push him back before attempting to kick him, which she narrowly dodged before she aimed for another strike, which again, he blocked._

_"Look, I don't want to hurt you!" Keith exclaimed, once again trying to reason with her._

_"Could have fooled me!" the woman swung her arm once again, this time landing a single hit. The tip of her knife went right over Keith's arm._

_The boy yelled in pain, gripping his now bleeding arm. Keith stopped fighting, the sting of the scar burned, which caused the woman to stop and stare in shock. The red liquid dripping from the stranger's arm was not the type of blood she would see from a Galra. In fact, it was close to Altean blood more than anything._

_Her hand trembled and she dropped her knife, the fire in her eyes had died out and she rushed to the boy's aid. Crunching down beside him, her dress falling around her like a pool of white and blue, and gently reached for his injury._

_Keith didn't protest, he figured the woman had already learned--the very painful way--that he wasn't a threat. Then again, maybe tripping her wasn't such a wise move, but he didn't know any other way to get through to her. How his bleeding arm managed to do that but his words didn't was beyond him._

_She cautiously removed Keith's arms away from the injury, which was a very deep cut. Her blue eyes softened with regret and placed her palm over the injury. Her hand glowed a bright blue and Keith could feel the stinging sensation evaporate into mist. The cut glowed a bright white and before long the blood was gone, leaving behind a dried up, and healed, scar._

_Keith stared wide eyed at the miracle then at the woman, who briefly stared at him before turning away. "Thank you." Keith said._

_"I'm sorry." she replied instead. "I really thought you were an enemy."_

_"Yeah, well, tripping you to get my knife probably wasn't the smartest move now that I think about it."_

_"Yes, well, I probably wasn't giving you that many options." she confessed. He noticed a tint of red on her cheeks, most likely due to embarrassment. She dared to look at him again, this time tilting her head like a curious little puppy._

_"What's wrong?" Keith asked._

_"Your…ears."_

_"Yeah?"_

_"… They're hideous." she said, rather bluntly. "What happened to them?"_

_"Nothing, I was born like that." Keith replied, rather defensively and absentmindedly reaching one hand to his ears, making sure his sudden visit to this world didn't do something to him physically. Thankfully, his ears were still as rounded as they have always been._

_Keith noticed, once again, the look of regret the woman had, most likely for her insensitive remark to his physical appearance. It would seem he wasn't the only one who poor people skills, from the looks of it._

_"My name's Keith." he offered her his hand. She stared curiously at it for a few seconds before carefully griping and then shaking it with confidence._

_"I am Princess Allura of Planet Altea."_

_Keith blinked in surprise again. "Oh…well, that explains the dress."_

_"What's wrong with my dress?" Allura asked, sounding somewhat offended._

_"N-Nothing! It's… nice." Keith said, tripping over his words a bit._

_Allura arched an eyebrow and then her slight frown changed right into a smile. She giggled, which surprised Keith quite a bit. "Sorry. I guess I deserve that for the ear comment."_

_Once again, Keith blinked in surprise right before he too managed to crack a smile and chuckle alongside the mysterious princess. It was strange, not a moment ago she was this one woman army trying to slice him in two, then she healed the wound she caused him and now she was laughing out of their slightly insensitive slip ups. Keith's survival instincts lowered down once fully realizing Allura was someone he could trust._

_She kindly helped Keith back to his feet, careful with his healed cut, which would still sting just a little bit. Keith looked at his surroundings, taking notice of the deer from before, which was still frozen in the same exact spot._

_"So, what is this place?" Keith asked._

_"You really have no idea how you got here?"_

_"No. I just went to bed and, next thing I knew, I was here. Where is "here", exactly?"_

_"It's… hard to explain." Allura replied, taking a few steps further, and nodding her head to Keith, inviting him to follow. "This is the Juniperberry fields…from Altea." at the mention of the name, her voice dropped._

_Keith was hesitant to ask more, but Allura beat him to it. "This place, isn't exactly real. Except for me, I'm real, as you've clearly found out." she gestured to the healed cut on Keith's arm. "But, everything else is a simulation from my subconscious."_

_"So, it's like a big computer?"_

_"Something like that. It's difficult to explain with just science alone. Let's just say, it's a mixture of both highly advanced technology, and mystical energies."_

_"Magic-Tech?"_

_"I suppose you could call it that."_

_"And everything here if from your brain?" Keith asked, becoming more and more fascinated with this discovery._

_"Yes. I can create anything I wish, except real living people or creatures." she nodded her head to the frozen deer. Upon closer inspection, the creature wasn't even breathing. With a wave of her hand, the deer sprung to life an approached the princess, allowing her to pet its head. Though, the soulless black eyes and the fact that it, again, wasn't breathing on its own merit made it look downright creepy. Judging by the look on Allura's face, she shared the same opinion as Keith did._

_"The most I can do are puppets." she said with a voice that oozed tragedy. "Lifeless, uncaring puppets."_

_Keith could only look at the princess with great sadness. Even with so many "toys" to play with, she was still very much alone. The deer then evaporated in a patch of blue particles. She didn't even flinch when it happened. With or without it here didn't change a thing._

_"Then, why are you here? If it's so lonely why don't you just leave?"_

_"I can't." Allura confessed. "It wasn't my choice to come here."_

_"Then, who's was it?"_

_The woman sucked in her lips before answering. "My father."_

_Keith froze in place. So, this woman's own father banished her to some mental limbo to be all alone? Why would he do such a thing._

_"But, he didn't do it with malicious intentions." Allura stated, as if already aware Keith had been thinking otherwise. "Our planet was under attack by King Zarkon, the leader of the Galra. My father and our people fought valiantly, but everything we did was in vain. I told my father we had not other choice but to form Voltron."_

_"Voltron?"_

_"It's the most powerful weapon in the universe. The only thing that could stop Zarkon. But my father refused. The last I remember was him putting me to sleep. No doubt he placed me in a cryo-pod, which is the only place where one's mind can manifest this Astral Plane. Normally, it's used for brain tests, but in my case my quintessence must have somehow activated it and now my mind wanders in this vast, yet empty space."_

_Allura was quiet for a moment before creating a small chair which grew from the ground, made entirely out of grass and flowers, and sat on it, looking down at her hands in sadness._

_"I still don't know what became of my father, or Altea. I don't even know how long I've been asleep, or if they're even alive." her voice cracked, signifying the start of the waters that would roll down her cheeks. The waters of which were already forming around her eyes._

_Keith didn't know what to say to make the situation better. What could he say? He couldn't magically wake her up, or bring back her father. He didn't even know how he got here in the first place. All he knew was that this princess was all alone, lost and no doubt broken. It was no wonder she looked so angry when she attacked him._

_She must have been holding on to that anger for so long, and she couldn't even count the days, or hours, or minutes or seconds. It was amazing she hadn't gone completely mad at this point. She still looked very well put together, but from the look in her eyes so much of her spirit had been taken away._

_Keith only sat on the grass beside her earth-made chair. "I'm so sorry." he said._

_Allura wiped away her tears and turned to him. "I know why I'm here, but how is it possible that you are? This makes no sense."_

_"Hey, I'm just as confused as you are." Keith said, raising his hands up in surrender._

_Well, I still don't know exactly how you were able to reach this realm on your own, but…maybe…"_

_"Maybe what?"_

_Allura shoot her head and stood back up. "Never mind."_

_"What?" Keith asked again, getting back to his feet as well._

_"Well, this may sound crazy."_

_"I'm standing in a dream filed with an alien princess who tried to kill me and now is laughing at my unintentional jokes, we're way past crazy."_

_"Alright, alright. What if, this is a good thing?"_

_"Good how?"_

_"If you were able to find me somehow, maybe you can help me. Help me escape so I can return home and get back at Zarkon for all he has done!"_

_"Whoa, whoa, whoa, slow down. How do you expect me to do that?"_

_"I don't know, but this can't all be just coincidence. You were brought here for a reason."_

_Keith took a tentative step back. How exactly was he supposed to help her get back home? He didn't even know how he did all of this._

_"I… Look, Allura, I really wish I could help you, I do, but I just don't know how."_

_"Then, we'll figure it out. I don't know how, but I'm sure if we work together we can find a way." the hopeful smile on her face grew wider with every word that came out of her mouth. It was a look of child-like hope. So innocent, yet so strong during the heart of a deadly storm. Despite his uncertainty, something raddled within Keith._

_Every bone in his body was telling him not to turn his back on this woman. Even though they had only just met, he agreed meeting her could not have been just by chance. Maybe there really was something at work here. Maybe fate has finally given Keith a chance to do something for someone else. To help someone who was as alone in the world as he was. Or, in her case, a world in her own mind._

_"Alright. I'm in."_

_Allura's smile grew wider and she flung her arms around Keith's neck, hugging him tightly, which caught him completely off guard. His hands rose in alarm and hung there in uncertainty. He didn't know if to hug back or not. Allura then released him, almost as fast as when she hugged him._

_"Sorry, uh, it's just…well, thank you." Allura bit her bottom lip rather nervously, feeling embarrassed by her impulsive reaction._

_Never the less, Keith didn't seem bothered by her actions at all._

_The two gasped when Keith realized his entire body started to flicker. His skin one minute transparent, then solid._

_"What's happening?" Allura asked, taking a step back as her eyes widened in shock and fear._

_"I don't know!"_

_Keith's eyes flew open at the sound of the school alarm. The sound of the commander's powerful voice through the speakers was enough to spring the young man out of bed. He was back in his room at the Garrison, and it was morning. The knife laid on the floor next to his bed, just like he left it._

_He sat upright on the side, rubbing his face and staggered off of bed towards the bathroom. He felt unusually exhausted, which completely washed away once he splashed his face with water, suddenly feeling energized again. As he looked at his reflection he felt a sudden itch on his arm. Looking down Keith gasped._

_The scar was still there._

_(~)_

"Princess, you must eat. It's been ten thousand years." the red-haired-man, named Coran, said to the young woman, who was still tampering with the controls of the panel.

"I'm not hungry." she said. Even with her focus on the screen, her body was still very close to Keith to the point their waists were touching. He had his hand placed on her back, right between her shoulders, also looking at the screen.

"Man, ten thousand years? That's like one thousand plus ten." Lance said.

"That's times ten." Keith corrected.

"Whatever, drop out! Or would you rather we call you; Lier!"

"I didn't lie!" Keith said in defense.

"Well you didn't tell anybody about your secret alien girlfriend this whole time, or that you knew about Voltron."

"Look, I'm sorry I waited this long to tell you guys. I was just waiting for the right moment."

"So, right after making out with your girlfriend which nobody knew about until now was the "right" moment to tell us?"

"I wouldn't expect you to understand!"

"Keith, enough!" Allura finally intervened, placing her hand on his chest. "It doesn't matter anymore, the important thing is they know now." she then turned entirely towards him, placing her hands on his shoulder, smiling lovingly as she gazed into his eyes. "And we're finally together. Amongst all of this, having you here has made me happier than I have been in a long time."

Keith cupped her right cheek with his hand. "I'm so sorry we couldn't save your father."

"I should have known it was unlikely he'd still be alive. But, I won't let his sacrifice go in vain." she said with a look of pure determination. Keith could only smile in agreement, pressing his forehead against hers. The two let out a content sigh, despite all that was going on, at least they were together at long last. At least Allura didn't loose everything.

"Awww!"

Both Keith and Allura turned their surprised looks to Hunk, who was gushing over the two young lovers. "That's so romantic!" he said, only to have his stomach start to grumble. "Sorry, I haven't eaten since breakfast. I'm starving."

"Yeah, but you've already thrown up like five times." Pidge said.

"Good point." Hunk said and proceeded to eat a strange green alien food goo on a hovering plate before him. It wasn't the best but it was edible to say the least.

"I can't believe your civilization created such advanced technology ten thousand years ago.It must have been an incredible place." Shiro said, admiring the castle and all its working. Unfortunately, his well meaning compliment came with some unpleasant consequences.

"Yes, it was." Coran said, looking downcast. "But now it is gone. And we're the last Alteans alive."

Allura felt the tears starting to form once again and cried into Keith's shoulder, while Coran rubbed her back in a fatherly manner. The sound of squeaks echoed in Allura's pointed ears and she gasped. Keith looked at her in alarm, he too heard the sound.

Allura approached the cryo-pod from which she had slumbered and smiled at the sight of four adorable little mice waving happily at the princess.

"Looks like we're not the last after all." she said, smiling as the mice jumped into her hands.

An alarm sounded off, revealing itself to be a purple ship on the screen. "A Galra battle ship has set its tracker to us!" Coran exclaimed.

"How did they find us?"

"I'm not sure, but I bet it's Keith's fault." Lance said bitterly to the raven haired boy.

"How is this my fault?"

"We're only in this mess because you needed some poor saps to dig up that lion so you could get back to your frozen girlfriend! So yeah, this is all your fault!"

"I was keeping a promise!" Keith exclaimed in defense, only for Shiro to step in between them.

"Stow it, cadets! This is not the time to place blame it's time to work as a team! How long before they arrive?" Shiro asked Coran.

The Altean man counted with his fingers. "I'd say, a couple of days."

"Good. Let them come." Allura said fiercely, dawning on her battle face. "By the time they get here, you five will have reformed Voltron and together we will destroy Zarkon's empire."

In order to find the other lions, Allura stepped onto the center of the command room, underneath a large crystal hanging over her head. In a matter of moments, the lights of the castle dimmed, allowing only the holographic coordinates to rotate and float around everyone like a stunning light show.

One by one, Allura analyzed the quintessence of each lion and matched them up with their respected paladins (while ignoring Lance's flirtatious attempts). When she finally reach Keith's lion, the red one, she regretted to inform that the creature could not be found and thus would need time to find it.

Shiro quickly came up with a plan. He assigned Hunk and Lance to retrieve the yellow lion, while he and Pidge would search for the green. Keith would remain with Allura and Coran to try and find the lion. Lance, of course, showed visible disappointment, just as he had earlier questioned Keith for being the pilot of the red lion. Keith, of course, only ignored him.

With everyone off to their respected missions, Keith inspected the control panel of the castle. This was his first time in the Castle of Lions, after having heard Allura tell him all about it before.

"I still can't believe it." he said, admiring the sophisticated and sleek technology.

"It is rather impressive." Allura said with a humorous tone. "At least, by earthling standards."

"Oh, ha, ha, very funny." Keith playfully rolled his eyes, which only made Allura giggle.

"Alright, you two. You may continue your courtship after we've found the Red Lion."

Keith looked over Coran's shoulder at the buttons. "So, how does this work exactly?" he asked, with one finger hovering over the dashboard, only to have Coran immediately slap his hand away.

"Ah, ah, ah, careful! One wrong move and you could blow this castle to smithereens." Coran said before returning back to tampering with the controls.

"He's kidding, right?" Keith asked the princess. Allura only cringed and shook her head.


	3. Chapter 3

Judging by the way Lance's back cracked as he straightened himself, and how nauseous Hunk looked, Keith concluded that their mission went anything than smoothly. At least they were alive and Allura could rest easy after using her energy to open up the wormholes for them to get through. He knew Allura was powerful, but this was the first time he witnessed what kind of power she had. Despite how much energy it took, the princess came out looking as determined and spirited as ever.

Shiro and Pidge had arrived as well, perfectly in tact, and in far better shape and the two boys. During their absence, Allura had finally found the Red Lion. Unfortunately, it was locked inside a Galra ship heading straight for the Planet Arus, which was where the Altean castle was currently located on.

To make matters worse, Coran calculations were way off. The ship would not be arriving in three days, but instead in a few hours the least.

Speaking of the Galra, the grand computer screen flickered to reveal the image of a powerful looking Galra with a mechanical eye. Their appearance was just as Allura had described; strong, purple skinned creatures with pointed ears and piercing yellow eyes with nothing but a thirst for blood to thrive their consciousness.

This Galra's name was Sendak, a Galra commander who warned the team that unless they willingly handed him the lions, then Arus would be destroyed along with everyone on it. Once the screen shut off, it didn't take long for Hunk to start trembling. Everyone else, including Shiro, looked horrified and fearful of what might come next, despite Shiro himself attempting to remain firm and calm during the situation like the leader he was.

Keith could only clench his fists in anger with every word that came out of that Galra scum's mouth, moments from when Allura would angrily punch anything she came into contact with, or weep on his shoulder resurfaced in his mind. He was just as determined to take them down as much as she was.

But when he looked at Allura, it wasn't anger or fierce desire to avenge her father he saw in her eyes…but rather fear. It was then Keith's fists loosened and he realized the reality just dawned on the young princess like a pile of bricks. Maybe now wasn't the time to get angry, but to come up with a plan.

As it would seem, Shiro had the same idea. They needed a plan of action.

But not everybody was on board. Lance insisted they leave since they only had three lions and thus could not form Voltron, even with the particle barrier protecting the castle it would not hold off Sendak forever. Hunk was fully on board with the idea, of course he would he, he was an eater not a fighter as far as Keith knew.

Not to mention, Lance just _had_ to make yet another pass at Allura. As if the situation wasn't bad enough.

Pidge, being the smartest of the group thus far, agreed they needed to stay. "We can't just abandon Arus. The Galra will keep destroying planets and capturing prisoners until we stop them."

"Okay, if we run then maybe Sendak will follow us and leave this planet alone like when we left earth." Hunk said.

"Sendak could destroy the planet and come after us anyway." Keith stated. "Staying is our only option."

"Here's an option, shut your quiznak!" Lance exclaimed, in a pathetic attempt to insult him.

"You don't even know what that words means." Keith said.

"Oh, and you do, mullet?" Lance spatted back in anger.

"We're staying!"

"Or, better idea, why don't you stay? We never asked to be here anyway, _you_ did!"

"Are you seriously this self centered?" Keith spatted, already feeling his own blood boil.

Lance wasn't entirely wrong. Out of everyone, Keith was the only one who was determined to retrieve the blue lion and find Allura, but he did so to help a friend. Someone he cared a great deal for, while all Lance seemed to care about was having a joy ride and continuously flirting with the princess right in front of him. Not to mention, they had already bonded with three of the lions, so there really was no turning back now. Like it or not, they were all involved and there was no way Keith would abandon Allura, or Coran or this planet in a time of crisis. Altea was already lost, the same couldn't happen again.

"We're leaving!" Lance stated.

"We're staying!"

"Leaving!"

"Staying!" Pidge exclaimed.

"Snake!" Hunk shouted, rather randomly.

"Guys! Stop!" Shiro's authority was enough to get the teenagers to stop arguing and addressed to Allura. "Princess, these are your lions, you know what we are facing better than any of us, what do you think is the best course of action?"

"I…I don't know." Allura replied, already feeling the pressure weighting her down.

"Perhaps your father can help." Coran said, taking the princess by surprise.

"My father?"

_(~)_

_The final bell rang and Keith exited his classroom, bypassing some random guy who tried to make some snappy comeback or something. In reality, Keith didn't pay any mind to it, on account of it was focused on something else._

_There was nothing Keith could focus on where he wasn't reminded of the events from the night before. Every once in a while he would reach for his arm, grasping the surface of his scar underneath the long mandatory garrison uniform. The clanging of their blades rang in his ears, clear and loud as if it were still happening._

_Normally Keith was the silent type, but today he barely uttered a word, aside from a simple "Hey" or "Fine" whenever something was asked. The one person who took notice of this behavior._

_"Hey, Keith!" Shiro called out down the hallways. "Hey, everything alright?"_

_"Yeah. I'm fine." Keith replied, barely even trying to be convincing._

_"Come on, Keith. It's me. Did something happen?"_

_The young man's eyes widened briefly in alarm. Should he tell Shiro all about what he saw? About Allura, and the Astral Plane? What would he think? Should he show him the scar so he'd believe him?_

_"Keith!"_

_"Y-Yeah?"_

_"Seriously man, you've been acting weird. I know you're quiet but you're not this quiet. You're practically a ghost wandering the halls."_

_"Sorry, I just, I have a lot on my mind is all."_

_"Is this about what we talked about? About you meeting new people?"_

_"No, no, it's not that. I guess I just…had a weird dream, that's all." Keith adjusted his backpack and prepared to leave. "Look, I appreciate your concern, really, but I think I just need some air. You'll know where to find me."_

_With that, Keith walked away from Shiro, who looked on with concern. He knew he shouldn't have brushed him off like that, but he just wasn't ready to share this with him just yet. He had to know he wasn't loosing his mind._

_Taking his hover bike, Keith rode off into the desert. Thinking about the Juniperberry fields made him yearn for the outdoors once again. He parked the bike near a small desert lake, where he sat on a rock and just took in the soft, fresh breeze. A few random desert lizards crawled up the rock and onto Keith's hand. He was standing so still the little guy probably mistook Keith for one as well._

_He gently rose his hand, smiling at the little creature harmless reptile. He immediately thought about that lifeless deer Allura was accompanied with, and immediately his spirits dropped. How would it feel like to be surrounded by the appearance of animals, yet know they were not alive? Even having a small little lizard who had no idea who or even what Keith was, something that could never engage in an intriguing conversation with him, but nevertheless it was alive and breathing._

_It cocked its head at Keith and stuck out its tiny tongue. Even a tiny living lizard made him feel he wasn't entirely alone in this place. But, Allura…she was. She was even more alone than he was. Despite his loner tendencies, he at least knew there were people, and animals, around to know he was still present in the real world._

_But she wasn't._

_Slowly, Keith lowered his hand, allowing the lizard to crawl off and walk away back into its natural habitat. Keith pulled the long sleeve of his jacket. The scar was still there._

_He made a promise to Allura he would help her get back home, but he was speaking out of a sense of duty and spur of the moment. He felt sorry for the girl, and with good reason. But, was it really real? Or, was he loosing his mind and the scar was caused by something else? Was he doing things in his sleep?_

_So many questions bounced around in his mind, until a soft humming sound filled the air. The wind brushed against his dark bangs and he looked all around. The sound was faint, but became stronger as he walked closer to some tall rocks. As quickly as it came, it stopped. Keith shook his head. Maybe he was going crazy. Maybe Shiro wasn't off when he said he needed to meet new people._

_Keith returned when it was close to dark and quickly retreated back to his room before the commander ordered lights out. Just like the other night, the drowsiness of the day overpowered Keith's senses and he went straight to bed afterwards. Before he fell asleep, he picked up his knife from the floor and placed it underneath his pillow. He laid upside, facing the ceiling before closing his eyes._

_Once they opened, he smelled the sweet scent of the Juniperberries, and the grass tickling his cheeks. He sat upright, gasping in shock._

_He was back._

_Immediately he sprung upwards and dashed forward, bypassing the many flowers and trees that sprouted all around. He ran down a hill and spotted a stunning, shimmering river. Petals of the Altean flowers floated on the water surface, creating sparkling ripples that looked like something straight out of a dream._

_Sitting on the shoreline was Allura, her dress spread out, the edges wet with the water itself. Sensing another presence Allura looked up and smiled._

_"Keith! You came back!"_

_Keith blinked, unsure if to greet her with a hug, or a handshake. "Yeah. I kept my word, didn't I?"_

_Allura sprung up faster than he could comprehend and dashed towards him. She stopped a few feet away, beaming with joy. She was like an excitable child waking up to see the Christmas presents under the tree._

_"That you did." Allura said. She then remembered she was still holding one of the flowers in her hand. This one still had all of its petals attached. The princess then did something odd and managed to stick it to Keith's ragged pajama shirt as if it were a pin._

_"Just my way of saying; Thank You. I know it's not much, but literally everything here is a simulation, so even if I repaid you with wealth it won't do you much good in the real world."_

_"You don't have to repay me with anything." Keith replied, "But, I'd hold off on the "thank you" gifts if I were you." his face became crestfallen. "I know I said I'd help you, Allura, but I honestly don't know how. I wouldn't even know where to start." he extend his arms, showcasing the land. "This is all really new to me."_

_Allura's own cheerfulness from earlier began to diminish, but from what it would seem, not enough for her to get entirely depressed. "Well, since you're here, might as well make the most of it." without warning, she grabbed Keith's wrist and dashed forward._

_"Whoa, whoa, hey, where are we going?" Keith asked as the woman dragged him back to the fields. She already knew he was tougher than she looked, but boy was her grip a strong one._

_Allura dragged Keith across the field, only to stop over a small hill, overlooking the mountain range. Once she finally released his hand, Keith rubbed his wrist. "Want to fill me in on this?"_

_"Sorry, I guess being by myself for so long has left my sociable skills a tad rusty." Allura said with a surprisingly sunny smile._

_"You certainly seen chipper this time around."_

_"I know I'm asking a lot from you, it's just…you have no idea how wonderful it is to finally speak to someone real for once." Allura said, taking a step closer to Keith, who stared in slight surprise. "Even if you still don't think so yourself Keith, I truly believe you were brought here for a reason. Whatever that reason is, perhaps together we can figure it out."_

_During the while she spoke, Keith took notice of the way the princess stepped closer, and while lost in the passion of her words, she reached out to take both Keith's hands into her own. Upon realizing her rather impulsive responce, she immediately released the hands._

_"I'm sorry. That was uncalled for."_

_Keith didn't say anything against it. He wasn't entirely sure how to respond to it himself. Nevertheless, the way Allura was so eager to not only uncover the mystery as to what brought Keith here, but also happy about having a living, breathing person to talk to had certainly brought out a more cheerful and child-like vivacious side to Allura. It would seem there were many layers to her personality._

_Suddenly, Keith was more and more fascinated by both the princess and the mystery behind this whole scenario. Besides, there was no going back now._

_"So, where should we start?" Keith asked._

_A smile formed across Allura's lips and, to Keith's surprise, she stepped behind him, placing her hands on his shoulders. Keith was at a loss here. No girl had ever touched him like this before. He wasn't sure if to say something, or, well, he didn't know what else._

_"Close your eyes." Allura said, still smiling._

_Keith complied, though unsure as to why he logically would. He sensed Allura step aside and the sound of a familiar humming came into his ears as the wind blew._

_"Okay, look!"_

_Once Keith opened his eyes, his mouth dropped and his entire body felt like the size of an ant. Standing before them was the most beautiful, futuristic castle he had ever seen. Not even in sci-fi movies had he witnessed such a sight._

_"Is that?"_

_"Yes. This was my home."_

_Allura led Keith towards the castle, which grew larger in scale the closer they got. He should have expected as much, it was a castle after all. Once they stepped inside, Allura showcased Keith the grand ballroom._

_"Whoa." Keith said. He was never a man of many words, but there really was no one word in the dictionary that he could recall to describe this otherworldly place. Well, maybe just one._

_"It's… incredible!" he said, actually smiling, his eyes sparkled in wonder._

_Allura gently lifted the helm of her dress, walking gracefully around the wide open area with the tall staircase. "My father and I used to dance in this very ballroom." she said, looking all around the place, which was brightly lit with a heavenly yellow glow, making it look like the image from a fairytale book._

_Upon instinct, Allura did a single twirl in place. Keith age a crocked smile while watching the young woman dance gracefully in place._

_Upon realizing what she did, Allura stopped, blushing in embarrassment. "Sorry."_

_"No, don't apologize." Keith said kindly. Allura was simply reminiscing in a positive memory, who was he to judge her? "So, your father… what was her like?"_

_Allura sighed, he wasn't sure if out of sadness, grief or even the slim possibility of a joy of remembering him. "He was a great leader. Kind, wise, and fearless." Allura started to walk up the stairs, nodding Keith to come along with her._

_"When we ruled Altea, everything was close to perfect." she continued to explain as they walked down the hallways of the palace. Keith payed close attention. "While many saw him as an intimidating king, to me he was always just my lovable, funny, sometimes embarrassing father."_

_Keith couldn't help but chuckle. "Embarrassing?"_

_"Oh, you have no idea! Once, when I was twelve I told him I wanted to ride on the retcketsha at the visiting carnival."_

_"What's a retc-shark-whatever you just said?"_

_Allura laughed at Keith's failed attempt to say an Altean word. "Retcketsha. It's this four legged hoofed creature with a mane and long flowing tail."_

_"You mean a horse?"_

_"What's a horse?"_

_"I guess you could say it's what we call rech--renta--"that" on earth."_

_"Well, there was this beautiful one that I had my eye on. But father told me I couldn't ride it because it was too dangerous and I wasn't tall enough. Being the stubborn child that I was I didn't listen and wounded up jumping on its back and rode on it anyway."_

_"Did you fall off?"_

_"No. On the contrary, I had the time of my life! You should have seen the look on everyone's face when the beast galloped ahead with the princess riding on its back! Father was beyond speechless." Allura laughed at her own teenager rebellion, and Keith couldn't help but smile in amusement. When they reached a portrait on the wall, Allura's laughing slowly stopped._

_"After that, we had an argument and…well, I yelled and said things I probably should't have." her eyes dropped to the floor, and Keith looked at her with concern. Then, a smile formed across her lips. "Then, he told me he was so proud of me. That I was brave enough to face danger head on and come out stronger than before. Of course, I was punished by doing the servant's dish work for a week, but I got to hear some interesting palace gossip, so it wasn't a complete loss. Also, I did scrape my arm afterwards, so there was that."_

_Keith was silent the entire time, just listening to her story. The two looked up at the image of her father. Just as Allura had described, he was a strong and wise looking man. One to surely be intimidated by, but also one to admire greatly._

_"I know this is all really personal to tell you since we just met but, speaking about my father with someone, it fells like..." she slowly turned to face Keith and vice versa. "It's like he's still here. That I'm not completely loosing my mind." she lightly chuckled to herself, "I'm hoping once I awake, I will see his face again."_

_Keith felt as if something had pierced right through his chest. It amazed him that this woman had just shared all of this personal information with him, and all in the hopes of being reminded that there may still be a chance her father was still alive, and that she wasn't alone anymore. Being in this Astral Plane took a more heavy number on her mentality than Keith had originally thought._

_Tears began to roll down Allura's eyes. She didn't sob, nor weeped, but let the silent tears fall wherever they may. Without thinking, Keith reached out his thumb and gently wiped the tears away, catching Allura by surprise. "Your father sounds like a great man. He'd be very proud of you." he said, speaking in a soft tone he never knew he was capable of._

_"I apreciate it, but I'm not a leader like he is. I never even got the chance to be one."_

_"You will." Keith said, his voice even softer and kinder than before, if that were even possible. "He saved you because he loved you, and I think because he saw what you're capable of. I wasn't entirely sure about all of this at first, whether or not I could help you, but maybe this really was for a reason. I don't think your story is over just yet, Allura. Not by a long shot."_

_Allura smiled at Keith's kind and encouraging words. It really did feel good to finally share her past with someone. For the first time in who knows how long, Allura had finally found a friend._

_(~)_

Allura never imagined she would see the hologram of the juniperberry fields again after she had awoken, but here it was again, along with an AI of her father.

Allura broke down, her heart filled with a mixture of sadness and overwhelming joy to hear her father's voice and see his face, even if it was partly covered by a computerized image and vocals. Never the less, she did get to see him again after all.

"I'm so frightened. A Galra ship is set to attack, and I don't know what to do. Please, father. I need your help."

"I would do anything to take this burden from you. And I am so sorry you had to be alone for so long."

"It's alright, Father. I wasn't alone for that long, and I understand why you did it." Allura said with a reassuring smile, but it quickly melted away and she got down to her knees, resting her head against the metal AI beneath the hologram's feet.

"I don't know if we should run to preserve what we have, or stay and risk everything. I want to fight, but the paladins of old are gone. I know what you would do."

"I scattered the lions of Voltron to keep them out of Zarkon's hands. You urged me to keep them, but fight for the greater good of protecting the universe I chose to hide them."

"I think I understand now."

"No, daughter. You were right. I made a terrible mistake, one that cost the universe countless lives. Forming Voltron is the only way to stop Zarkon. You must be willing to sacrifice everything to assemble the lions, and correct my error."

His words place everything into an entirely new perspective. Keith was right before. Her story, her father's story, their story, it wasn't over. She and the paladins really have been brought here for a reason, she knew that wholeheartedly.

They had to fight and continue fighting in order to defeat Zarkon. They were the universe's only hope, and just like when Allura first met Keith in the Astral Plane, she was not alone.

Not anymore. She was awake and ready to face Zarkon once and for all. They all were.


	4. Chapter 4

So far, everything was going according to plan. The five paladins of Voltron dawned their new armor, gained their Bayards, weapons that could transform into a specific weapon to match their personalities and fighting styles.

Keith was especially happy with his new sword, even if he played it cool on the surface. Now, came the time to retrieve the Red Lion from the ship.

The plan was to have Hunk and Lance be the distraction while Keith, Shiro and Pidge entered the ship. Shiro then had a sudden flash, recalling a lost memory from his time as a prisoner on the Galra ship. As it turns out, the other crew members from the Kerberos mission could possibly still be there. Pidge admitted to being the "son" of Dr. Holt and younger sibling to Matt Holt. Shiro agreed to help Pidge rescue them, leaving Keith to search for the Red Lion, as ordered by Shiro.

"By myself?"

"Minor change of plans, you'll be fine. Just remember, patience yields focus."

Keith recorded those words into his brain and the group parted once Galra droids walked into the hallway. Keith ran in the opposite direction only to stop at a fork in the road.

"Great. Now which way?" he muttered in annoyance to himself, stopping right in front of the Galra emblem, which glowed its signature purple color. The image, for a moment, triggered something in Keith's memory but brushed it aside when he heard more droids coming his way. He panted as he ran down the hallway, hoping he would be able to find the Red Lion's energy.

If he would be able to, that is.

_(~)_

_"So, this is where you train?" Keith asked once they arrived at a specific room in the castle, which resembled a basically barren gym._

_"We didn't call it the training deck for nothing." Allura joked._

_"Did your father teach you to fight?"_

_"Indeed he did. On Altea, it was crucial for everyone in the royal family to learn basic combat skills." Allura used the powers she possessed in the Astral Plane in order to manifest a long staff from her hand and tossed it to Keith, who stared at it in curiosity._

_"I admit, you really impressed me with your battle skills last time." Allura said, gripping the staff in her hand. She spun the staff a few times before taking her stance, pointing it at Keith, all while smiling confidently._

_Keith blinked in surprise, still holding the staff in his hands. "You want to fight me again?"_

_"Don't worry, I promise not to try and cut you this time. You have my word." Allura placed her hand over her heart._

_"Is this really necessary?" Keith asked, still rather perplexed. Exactly what was this woman's intentions? He knew she wanted to find a way to escape this place, but she had no clue as to how, and neither did he. Then again, the princess had been alone all this time, so again he just turned the wheel of reason all the way back to her just enjoying having somebody to speak with. She was behaving no differently than a little kid excited o make a new friend._

_"I've been training either all by myself or with a puppet for who knows how long." Allura said, further cementing Keith's thoughts on the matter._

_"So, this is really just you making up for lost time?"_

_"Honestly, can you blame me?" Allura said, her tone adopting a sudden sassy tone, looking at him as if he just missed the very obvious point._

_The young man only smirked. "No. I guess I can't."_

_"Unless you don't want to, it's fine." Allura's eyes blinked in surprise when Keith spun the staff rapidly with one hand with ease before taking a fighting stance, all the while wearing a very determined, and rather mischievous grin on his face. If he was going to be here, he might as well make the most of it like Allura. Shiro did say to meet new people, and so far from what he had gathered up to this point, Allura was somebody he could possibly see himself getting along with. That is, if she could hold her own against him._

_"Bring it on, Princess."_

_Allura smirked in reply and aimed her staff directly at Keith. It didn't take long for the two to start battling it out with one another, swinging their respected staffs in an effort to counter the other's incoming blow and trying to knock the other off their feet. Just like with their knifes the night before, the metallic staffs made slight clanging noises when colliding with one another._

_Keith had to admit, even when she's not deliberately trying to cut him, Allura was a formidable opponent none the less. She grunted with every powerful strike she sent his way and narrowly missing his swings by leaping and flipping like some kind of graceful ninja. She managed to strike him in the stomach, sending him tumbling down, only for him to quickly regain his balance and jump right back on his feet._

_"Impressive." she said, noticing that Keith was already panting, yet Allura had barely broken a sweat. "Taken all you can bare?"_

_"Not a chance." Keith resumed the fight, putting his all into. While he managed to hold his own rather well, in the end, he was still no match for a highly trained warrior space princess. Seeing his chance, Keith managed to strike Allura from behind and she was knocked to the ground, only to use the opportunity to her advantage and trip Keith with her leg._

_He landed on his back, panting from exhaustion. Allura laid on the floor beside him, surprising him when she suddenly bursted out laughing._

_"Allura?"_

_"That was incredible! I can't remember the last time I had this much fun!"_

_Keith sat upright first before offering his hand to Allura and pulling her back up. "You're not hurt?"_

_"Are you kidding? It's going to take a lot more than one measly hit to get me down. Where did you learn to fight like that?"_

_"I took self defense classes since I was twelve. Let's just say, it came in handy. You sure you're okay?"_

_"I'm fine. Don't worry." Allura assured him, wiping away some of the sweat from her forehead. A few traces of her silver hair stuck to her cheek to which she paid little mind._

_Keith chuckled as he too wiped the sweat from his own brow. "You've got some serious skills."_

_"You too. You didn't hold back. Not once."_

_"Yeah, well, you're pretty intense for a princess."_

_"I'll take that as a compliment. Though, your skills are impressive, you lack a certain amount of restraint."_

_"Not the first time I've heard that."_

_Allura gave a light chuckle. "My father always said a true warrior knows the balance between impulsive action and tact."_

_"Judging from your fighting style, you lean a little more on the tact."_

_"True. It's all in a matter of knowing how to balance them."_

_"In other words, discipline."_

_"Yes. But, discipline does not always have to equal an absence of passion." as Allura spoke, the two only then realized they were standing rather close to one another, so close they could see every detail of each other's eyes. Keith noticed that aside from them being a beautiful light blue, Allura's eyes also had single pink dots in the center of her irises. While Allura took in the mesmerizing shade of Keith's indigo eyes. She noticed how intense they were during the fight, yet now they were as soft as the petals of the juniperberries._

_They remained there for a few seconds, which to them felt longer, until Allura cleared her throat, breaking whatever spell had begun to take hold. "Um, I-If you're interested, I can show you a few traditional Altean fighting styles my father taught me."_

_Keith smiled. "Yeah. I'd like that." he said, feeling his face heat up. Despite the intense fight, he really did have fun._

_Sadly, the fun was over when his body began to flicker once more. Allura stepped back, looking crestfallen. "I guess, this is it then."_

_"For now. I'll come back. I promise."_

_With that, Keith vanished, once again finding himself in his room at the Garrison. To his surprise, he saw Shiro shaking him awake._

_"Keith? Keith, wake up!"_

_"Huh? Shiro?" the younger man replied, his hair was a tangled mess, as it usually was in the morning, but he did not expect to find Shiro in his room. "What's going on?" he asked, drowsily rubbing his sleepy eyes._

_"You didn't show up for prodigal. It's not like you to sleep in."_

_"What?!" Keith quickly grabbed his phone and stared at the time. He really was late. He had never been late before. And yet, he wasn't entirely bothered by it._

(~)

After running through another hallway, Keith ended up in yet another fork in his path, identical to the one he had just encountered, or it could have been the exact same one either way. The red paladin groaned in frustration.

"You've got to be kidding me!"

He took in a deep breath, remembering Shiro's words. "Patience yield focus." he repeated. He tried to steady his breathing in efforts to locate the Red Lion. He still wasn't entirely sure how he would be able to do this. It didn't take long for him to sense a soft humming to ring in his ears. There was no mistaking it. It was his lion.

Keith followed the sound until he reached a room where the Red Lion was being held, surrounded by a red particle force field, just as it was with the others. Pressing his hand to the surface he tried desperately to get it to open, but just as Allura said, the creature would not respond to him unless he earned its respect. Talking to it and addressing himself as its paladin didn't seem to work. How was he going to get the lion out if it refused to budge?

Things became trickier when more Galra droids came in and started shooting at Keith. Never the less, Keith refused to give up. He wouldn't give up, no matter what.

He was outnumbered, until an idea crossed his mind once he looked at the control panel. Once he pushed the button (or punched it in this case) the floor opened up and the droids were sucked into space. Keith tried to hold onto the control panel but he too was then sucked into space.

As he drifted off the sound of a powerful roar pierced through the black endless void. The Red Lion finally deemed him worthy to be its paladin and grabbed Keith with his mouth. With a satisfied grin, Keith flew off with his new companion back to the castle.

With all four lions present, the Black Lion awoke, and just in time as well, for the Galra ship had finally arrived. The lions rushed out into the battlefield as more Galra cruisers shot their lasers at the team and at the castle, which was protected by a particle barrier.

The team didn't know how to form Voltron, and things were not looking so good for them. Matters were made worse when Sendak trapped the team in its beam, which began rucking them into his ship. The particle barred finally gave way, leaving the castle completely vulnerable.

It seemed as it this was the end, as each paladin, save for Shiro and Keith, bid their farewells to one another, loosing all hope of winning.

The screen before Keith flickered, and he saw Allura inside the castle, looking at him with her beautiful, shimmering blue and pink eyes. His heart sank at the sight of her. She had waited so long to finally wake up and to fight once again, only now it would seem everything was for nothing. Sendak had the lions, the castle was defenseless, and now they would be separated.

Allura rose her hand up towards the screen, pressing her hand against it. Keith followed her example, and both hands were pressed together, despite their distance. Keith's determination ignited within him. His eyes narrowed and pushed on his controls with all of his might, his lion moving in a rebellious act to fight the beam's gravitational pull.

"Keith, what are you doing?" Lance asked, noticing the red lion trying fiercely to break free.

"This isn't over!" Keith exclaimed, his voice strong and firm. "I'm not quitting now! I promised Allura I would find her. Now that I have, I'm not loosing her again! I'm not about to abandon the entire galaxy to Zarkon's reign! I refuse to let anyone else suffer because of him!"

Motivated by his friend's words, Shiro too pushed harder on his controls. "Keith is right. We can do this! We have to believe in ourselves. We can't give up. We are the universe's only hope, everyone is relying on us. We can't fail. We won't fail. If we work together, we'll win together!"

Shiro's words captured the hearts of his fellow paladins, and the lions found the strength to fight the beam, combine and transform into the legendary hero of legend; Voltron!

Allura beamed with pride, she never imagined she would see Voltron again after so long. There truly was hope yet.

Voltron managed to destroy the Galra ship, winning their first battle together. Once it was all over, the lions dispersed and the paladins exited their lions, already feeling the weight of the battle on their shoulders. They panted and sighed in the relief that it was over. At least for now.

Allura and Coran exited the castle, both smiling proudly. "Great work, Paladins!" Allura congratulated.

"Thanks, Pretty Lady." Lance said, smiling flirtatiously once he noticed her smiling at him. Allura ran forward, and Lance spread open his arms, expecting her to embrace him…only to be stricken with a harsh does of reality when she ran right past him and instead rushed towards the red paladin, wrapping her arms around his neck, while his arms secured themselves around her waist and spun her around once.

Keith removed his helmet and proceeded to properly collide his own lips with Allura's. Lance could only stare in disappointment, only for Coran to pat him on the back.

"There, there…you never really had a shot anyways." the Altean man said, in a very poor attempt at boosting the blue paladin's self esteem.

Once the two ended the kiss, Shiro saw his shot and ruffled Keith's hair, a gesture he mostly did whenever he was proud of the boy. But it wasn't just Keith he was proud of. "We did it!"

"Heck yeah, we did." Keith said, still with one arm around Allura's waist while he held his helmet with the other. Allura affectionately placed her hand on Keith's chest.

"How did we do it?"

"I was just screaming the whole time, maybe that did it." Hunk said.

Pidge, on the other sand, looked more disappointed than most. Shiro placed a hand on "his" shoulder, promising they would find both Pidge's father and brother, and that whoever they were, they would be very proud. Allura sympathized with this, wishing the young green paladin the best of luck in his quest. However, there was still the bigger picture at hand.

"We may have won the battle, but the war has only just begun." Allura began. "Zarkon will not stop until he gets these lions."

"Good think you paladins know what you're doing, because you're going to have to form Voltron again and again." Coran said, much to the surprise of the other paladins, who were still drained from the last fight. To think, needing to form the gigantic robot more than once after this was not going to be a walk in the park.

"It's not going to be easy being Defenders of the Universe." Coran said as he stroked his mustache.

"Defenders of the Universe, huh? It's got a nice ring to it." Shiro said as he and the rest of the paladins marveled at the large robot lions. The journey may be hard from here on out, but so long as they stuck together they would be victorious.

Nobody knew that better than the two people who defied distance and possibilities to see each other again, and for the first time.

(~)

_Keith was lucky the commander didn't give him a month of cleaning up the simulator. He heard that one engineer student kept barfing inside of it, and there was no way he was going to be cleaning that up. If he did, he would feel his own stomach turn._

_While Keith had better luck keeping focus in class, his mind still wandered. He could still feel his heart racing when he and Allura sparred. A soft smile would form every time he recalled it, which made a few students take notice. It wasn't like Keith to smile at random like this._

_During lunch, which Keith often had alongside Shiro, he was unusually quiet today. More so than normal for Keith himself anyway._

_"Keith, is everything okay?" Shiro asked with concern._

_Keith chewed on his sandwich and swallowed before answering. "Yeah. Why do you ask?"_

_"Yesterday it was like you were here, but your mind was off somewhere else. Today, you slept in and now you're suddenly zoning out into space and smiling."_

_"I've smiled before."_

_"Yeah, but not straight out of the blue. If something is bothering you, you can tell me"_

_Keith knew that Shiro was going to continue pestering him unless he came up with some kind of explanation for his behavior. It's been only two days, but it would seem Shiro knew Keith so well at this point to recognize anything out of the ordinary._

_"I want to tell you, believe me, but I…I just don't feel ready yet."_

_"Keith--"_

_"Shiro, please, just…trust me, okay? I promise you, I'm fine. I'm eating right, and I'll get more sleep tonight, I promise."_

_Shiro finally decided to drop the subject. "Alright. Just remember, I'm right here if you want to talk."_

_"Thanks."_

_That night, Keith went to bed even earlier than before and got straight to bed. The moment he closed his eyes, he once again found himself in the fields, where the Altean princess was just admiring them. These flowers clearly held a very special place in her heart._

_Allura quickly noticed his presence and the two walked back to the castle. Their story was only just beginning._


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After their first fight with Zarkon, Allura does everything she can to prepare them for the war ahead.
> 
> In the past, Keith and Allura’s friendship grows stronger with each visit.
> 
> Can the past help in the present?

"Everybody up! Zarkon's attacking! The castle is about to be destroyed! Go, go, go! We need Voltron now! Hurry! We can't survive much longer!" Allura cried out in desperation, or at least attempting to sound desperate as the emergency alarm flared, awakening the other paladins. Hunk stumbled on his blanket in his attempts to hurry out, while Pidge was jolted awake, having spent most of the night on her laptop beside the prisoners they rescued from the Galra ship.

Keith and Shiro were already wide awake, the latter having doing push ups in his room, in full paladin armor no less, while Keith had been with Allura and Coran the entire time. While the other paladins were still new to Zarkon's threat, aside from Shiro who's memory was still rather foggy, Keith knew the stakes as much as Allura did, so it was both their top priority to see to it they stopped Zarkon's reign of terror.

"You've got to sell it a bit more." Coran explained before dramatically screaming in agony, much to both Keith and Allura's surprise. "_AH!! Allura is dead! Oh, it's horrible! Her head fell off!"_

Keith only looked on with a deadpan stare, while Allura only rose a brow. She knew her caretaker could be eccentric, but there were times where he could be just downright wacky.

"Oh wait, her severed head is trying to speak to me! What is it, Allura's head? What are your final words?"

"Coran?"

"Oh, yes Princess, I'm listening!"

"It's over." this Allura's deadpan stare matched Keith's as the alarm shut off…and Coran was still being dramatic.

"Oh, I know! If only Voltron had been formed!" he cried out, only to see the remaining three paladins before him. "Oh…time!"

"I guess this isn't an actual attack." said Shiro.

"And it's a good thing it wasn't, because it took you." she turned to her caretaker. "Coran…?"

"Seventy eight degrees. Oh, no my mistake, that's a meat thermometer."

Keith face palmed while Allura tightened her fists. "However long it was, it was too long! You must always be ready to do battle with Zarkon! Look at you, only Shiro is in uniform. Pidge, Hunk where are your Bayards? And where is Lance?"

The doors slid open and Lance walked in, well rested with his face washed and dressed in his robe and blue lion fuzzy slippers. "Morning everybody. What's going on?"

"The three of us have been up for hours getting the castle back in order." Keith said, "Allura was testing the alarms and thought I'd be good idea to test everyone too."

"Guess which one failed." Allura said, narrowing her eyes in disappointment while placing her hands behind her back in a disciplinary fashion.

Hunk let out a yawn. "Hey, you got to sleep for ten thousand years man. Monday night I was on earth, now I've flown through space, fought some evil alien named Zarkon, eaten goo in some weird castle. That's a lot to process in…I forget, what day is today?"

"It's the third quintet of the Spicolian movement." Coran said, "Hump day!"

"It's a lot to process."

Even Allura herself had to admit the young earthlings did look worn and even still raddled by the events of yesterday. Even she herself was still overwhelmed by it all, but did a good job masking it behind a face of steal, even though she was trembling anxiously on the inside.

Never the less, she revealed to them the true stakes of their mission, by revealing just how many planets have already been conquered by Zarkon in the past ten thousand ears, and that an attack on Earth was not too far behind. This information shocked the paladins to their core, the true weight of this mission now weighted heavier than before.

"Our mission is to free all of those planets." Allura said. "Coran and I are getting the castle ready to leave Arus. During that time you have to learn to form Voltron, so we can begin fighting Zarkon."

Shiro agreed, but Pidge protested, wanting to speak with the prisoners they rescued in hopes of getting information about her family. Coran said the prisoners needed to remain in their capsules, where they would be more healthy and energized by tomorrow. The ordeal at the Galra ship left the poor creatures in such horrid shape.

"Now get to your lions." Allura commanded…her stone cold expression quickly melted when Keith placed a gently kiss on her cheek. The princess blushed and smiled sweetly at the red paladin. The affectionate gesture only made Lance want to vomit.

(~)

_It had been nearly a week since Keith had met Allura, and every night after a long day at the Garrison, Keith was surprised to discover there was something he could actually look forward too. Spending time with Allura was a lot of fun, probably more so than he had originally imagined. The alien princess shared with Keith all about her culture, her life growing up in the palace, as well as the reason why the primary memory that made up the entire mental projection was the Juniperberry fields._

_The princess gave a content sigh as she stared at the violet-pinkish flowers. "My father and I spent most of our times in the fields. I loved the smell of the flowers in the early morning spring."_

_Keith gazed at the wide fields, holding one of the flowers in his hand. "I can see why you love it so much." he said. "Don't get me wrong, your palace is really nice and all, but in my opinion, nothing can compare to the beauty of nature."_

_"I couldn't agree more. What types of flowers do you have on earth?"_

_"I've never thought much about flowers but, to name a few off the top of my head, there are daisies, sunflowers, roses, orchids, tulips. There are hundreds of others. Humans also come up with all kinds of crazy meanings for them."_

_"Like what?" Allura asked, already interested._

_"Well, I don't know much, it's just stuff I heard from people. But, roses are probably the most worldly known. They come in red, white, yellow and pink. Though, red is a favorite."_

_"Is it your favorite?" Allura asked. "You know because, you're wearing red too."_

_It was during the cold times at the Garrison, so the evenings were often hard to sleep through due to how cold it was. So, Keith this time had slept with his old white and red blazer jacket. Red had always been Keith's favorite color overall, so he didn't put it past Allura to quickly assume that._

_"I never really thought about it, but I guess if I had to pick, it would be red."_

_Allura smiled as she picked another one of the flowers and gently blew on it, watching as the petals flew off, gracefully dancing eternally in the air. "You're so lucky." she said, catching Keith by surprise. "To be able to wake up every morning and fell the sunlight on your face. To smell the real summer breeze and to smell real flowers." her eyes dropped, her smile shifting into a frown. "This place is a lovely dream, but I know in reality that's really all it is."_

_Keith could feet his own heart aching at Allura's words. A lot of people would have wished to be in Allura's place. A beautiful princess with a magical realm all to herself, a manifestation of one's own imagination to escape the harshness of reality. Even Keith had to admit he too felt this place was a breath of fresh air in comparison to his life, but this was not a paradise for Allura, rather a prison. A beautiful prison none the less, but how could she enjoy it if there was no one else she could have spoken with and with the constant reminder of her father and people in need of her help. Granted, there was no guarantee they would still be alive, but Allura refused to let go of that lingering thread of hope just yet._

_Keith admired how Allura was able to remain so strong and hopeful of her family, regardless of the situation. She truly was a strong woman if she had managed to hold on for this long, and continued to do so. But even he could see the subtle effects of her imprisonment, such as her original hostility towards him, as well as opening up to him once she was comfortable enough to know he wasn't a threat. Keith may be a loner, but he's never felt as alone as Allura had before._

_"Allura…"_

_"Please." she interrupted, smiling warmly his way. "Tell me more about your world."_

_Keith complied. Though, a pang of guilt hit his chest as he spoke again. "Well, aside from flowers we have cities. Very large, advanced cities."_

_"Do you have a castle?"_

_"Well, not just one. You see, earth is made of countless other countries and cultures, each with their own rules, beliefs and customs. A lot of those places have large palaces, though nothing compared to yours."_

_"What types of cultures does earth have?" Allura asked, her eyes sparkling with child-like curiosity._

_Keith pondered to pick just one. "Uh, well there is Japan, India, Africa, Jerusalem, it's kind of hard for me to explain just one in detail. Oh, there is Egypt. That used to be my favorite subject in school."_

_"Egypt?"_

_"Yeah." Keith nodded, showing some growing signs of enthusiasm, mirroring Allura's curiosity. "Their people build these triangle shaped things called the pyramids, and this half lion had man statue called the Sphinx."_

_Allura cocked her head in confusion. "S-Spink?"_

_"No, Sphinx. Don't worry, I had a hard time pronouncing it too." Keith said, making Allura giggle._

_"It all sounds remarkable."_

_"It is."_

_"It must have been wonderful to have seen it with your very own eyes."_

_Keith's shoulders dropped. "Oh, I, um… I've never actually seen them, really. I just read about it in books or watched documentaries on T.V."_

_"What's a T.V.?"_

_"It's this thing were we watch things, like movies and stuff."_

_"What's a movie?" Allura asked, only to be surprised when Keith suddenly started laughing._

_"Sorry, it's just, it's also hard to explain. But, in my honest opinion, seeing it in a book or on a screen isn't the same as actually witnessing it. Man, I wish I could show it to you."_

_Just then, Allura gasped in shock when the scenery before them suddenly began to shift and change. Both friends stood upwards, with Keith instinctively reaching for the knife onf his holster._

_"What's going on?" he asked._

_"I don't know! I'm not doing this!"_

_The image suddenly manifested to reveal a vast desert and a large statue with the body of a lion and the head of a man with an unusual headset on him. Keith blinked in astonishment. He dared to approach the statue, his shoes hitting the softness of the desert sand while Allura followed close behind. The two marveled at the sight, the princess curiously reaching out her hand to touch the surface of the statue. She then laughed._

_"Amazing." she turned towards Keith, who was still dumbfounded._

_"Did…did I do that?"_

_"You can shape the Astral Plane just as I can!" Allura said, her voice sprinkled with a glee of excitement._

_"But, what does it mean?"_

_"I don't know. But, I have a _ _feeling this means there is still hope for us yet.”_

_(~)_

Once the paladins were all in their respected lion, they flew across the sky in an attempt to form the mighty soldier, but unlike before, they were not able to do so. Any attempts they did resulted in poor, and in some cases hilarious, results.

Allura then came to the idea that the paladins were able to form Voltron during the heat of battle…and she just so happened to have been planning on running a diagnostic test on the castle's defenses.

The paladins were then screaming and dodging incoming blasts from the castle's particle barrier, much to the horror of the paladins.

"Allura, what are you doing?!" Keith asked, nearly avoiding an incoming blast.

"Running a diagnostics test on the castle's defenses, and inspiring you." she said, with that upbeat smile of hers.

"I'm not entirely sure this is the best form of motivation!"

"As the old proverbs say; "The best lessons are learned on the battle field." I believe in you paladins! Let fear be your guide! Form Voltron!"

Lance attempted to return to the castle, only to be catapulted away once he collided with the particle barrier and fell onto the ground.

Hunk screamed as he scattered away from the incoming blasts. "Keith! Your girlfriend is trying to kill us! Make her stop!"

"I don't think it's going to make much of a difference." Keith replied, dodging another incoming blast. He knew Allura meant well, and he knew well enough the blasts wouldn't be enough to actually destroy them, and the lions's armor was stronger than anything in order to survive them without a scratch, but still, while Keith was able to outmaneuver the blasts, the others weren't so lucky.

(~)

_There was no question about it. Keith was somehow able to manifest his memories just like Allura could. This was perfect! Now he could really show Allura how life on earth was really like. He showed her the famous landmarks, like the Eiffel Tower in Paris, the Taj Mahal, the pyramids of Egypt, the temples of China, the castles in Britain, all of it. He even showed her all the flowers he told her about. Allura became especially drawn to the roses by their unique design._

_As for the animals, while Keith knew any animal that one thought of in the Astral Plane was merely a puppet, Allura still insisted she at least wanted to know what they looked like. One of the first animals Keith thought about were horses; his personal favorite._

_Allura was surprised to see they bared a strong resemblance to the Retcketsha from Altea. Keith manifested two kiger mustangs and the two rode across the fields side by side. Allura was a natural rider, confident, fast and focused. Not to mention fast. She rode with the spirit of a true rider, or at least from what Keith could gather given the amount of information he had in the matter._

_Keith had never ridden a horse, but he guessed it was no different than riding a hover bike. Then again, these horses were just puppets so there really was no worry if they went haywire or frightened by some random snake or anything like that._

_Allura smiled the entire time, cheering and laughing as the two raced across the imaginary Altean landscapes. Seeing Keith was catching up to her, Allura mentally commanded her horse to accelerate speed. This only encouraged Keith to do the exact same thing. Wether it be racing or sparing, the two were clearly evenly matched._

_Even so, Keith couldn't help but be riveted by Allura's free spirit. With each passing day, the otherworldly royal seemed to surprise him with every little thing she did. He wasn't entirely sure if it was because they were in some mystical computer program created by Allura's brain, but he genuinely felt he could be himself around Allura. Anything he said, or did, which would be considered odd or even "outdated" in the eyes of the students at the Garrison were seen as fascinating and in some cases even funny in her eyes._

_The two raced up towards the mountain rages of Altea, which began to shift to resemble the desert from where Keith had grown accustomed to. They ceased their running once they reached a high cliff, overlooking the vast landscape. Allura became a bit envious at the fact Keith could see this stunning sight whenever he wished. The purpose of the race had been completely forgotten once they reached the top, for Allura was much too enthralled by the image of the setting sun and the pinkish coloring of the sky._

_Keith smiled upon seeing that familiar child-like sparkle in her eye. "It's so beautiful." she said, nearly breathless. While her eyes were locked onto the horizon, Keith's attention was more on the princess, taking note of the detailed shadows and lighting upon her face, created by the gentle rays of the sun. She looked so happy, so content. He wondered if this was how she had always spent her days back on Altea. Enjoying the beauty and wonders her world had to offer._

_When she turned her attention towards him, Keith reacted quick and turned his attention towards the sunset. His cheeks feeling hot and his eyes darting towards her then back to the scenery in the time it took to blink._

_"Your world is absolutely amazing. Thank you for sharing it with me." she said, making Keith smile, and feeling a warm sensation in his chest._

_"Well, you shared yours with me. It's the least I can do."_

_"I'm glad you think so… then you won't feel so bad to know that I beat you." Allura said with her nose to the air in a somewhat snooty manner, yet while wearing a playful smile._

_"Excuse me?" Keith scoffed._

_"I arrived here first, so I win."_

_A sly grin formed across Keith's lips. "Okay, I admit you did… but let's see you beat me back at the castle!" he then willed his horse to run back down the cliff first, much to Allura's shock._

_"Hey!" Allura called out in annoyance before galloping right behind him, laughing at his early start._

_(~)_

"You did it! You formed Voltron!" Allura said happily once she and Coran had entered the living room to see the paladins lounging on the sofa. Unfortunately, Keith had to break the news to her.

"No. The shooting stopped and the particle barrier shut down so we just flew in."

Just like that, Allura's smile changed into a frown of disappointment. "What?"

"Oh, sorry, Princess. I had to turn off the castle defenses to test the fire suppressors." Coran said, already feeling Allura's cold, hard gaze upon the man.

The door on the other side of the room opened and Shiro walked right in. "What are you guys doing here? We're not taking a break."

"Shiro's right, you should be training." Allura said.

"We've been training, when are we getting back to earth?" Hunk asked, visibly drained and impatient.

"I'm not going back until I find my family." Pidge said.

"Guys, there won't be an earth until we figure out how to fight Zarkon." Shiro said.

"How are we going to fight?" Lance asked. "We can't even form Voltron!"

"Well I'm not surprised." Coran said, "You know, the paladins fought hundreds of battles together, side-by-side. They were like a pack of yalmores linked to the ears." he said, tugging on his ears for emphasis.

"Wow." Lance collapsed on the couch again, "Yeah, that's definitely not us."

"During the last attack your survival instincts forced you to work as a team, but that will only get you so far. You need to become a real team if you'll have any chance of forming Voltron and beating Zarkon next time."

"Why don't we try working out on the training deck?" Keith suggested.

"There's a training deck?" Hunk asked in surprise.

"That's a great idea, Keith!" Allura said with a bright smile. Her smile was enough to gain one from Keith as well, who had been sitting on the couch with his arms crossed.

"How did you know there was a training deck?" Lance asked, lilting his head up and narrowing his eyes at Keith.

"When we were in the Astral Plan, I showed Keith everything there is to know about the castle."

"Of course you did." Lance muttered under his breath.

Keith got up from where he sat. "Come on, I'll show you guys." he led the team out of the room, alongside Allura and Coran. The training deck held many fond memories for both Keith and Allura. If they were lucky, maybe the team could form a strong bond here as well.

Once they arrives at the training deck, the paladins were mighty impressed by the size of the place. "I'm going to run some more tests on the castle defenses…again." Allura said, before narrowing her eyes at Coran, who chuckled nervously. "Coran, would you mind watching the paladin's progress?"

"Absolutely princess!"

Allura the smiled and placed a soft kiss on Keith's cheek. "Good luck."

Keith held Allura's hand, smiling warmly at her. "Don't worry, Allura. We'll be forming Voltron before you know it."

"Oh, I know you'll do fine, it's them I'm concerned about."

"You know we're right here right?" Hunk said, giving the princess an annoyed look before self cautiously tapping his fingers together. "But, you may have a point there."

Allura gave Keith another quick kiss, this one on the lips, "Have fun." she said in a sweet tone, akin to that of a happy teenage girl saying farewell to her boyfriend before he had to get back to work. Keith winked in return as the princess left the training deck, leaving Coran to view the paladin's progress.

The first training exercise were the paladins attempting to protect one another from flying laser shooting drones, to which failed miserably. Pidge wounded up the first one to be hit, causing the floor beneath her to open and she fell inside. Hunk was whimpering like a big crybaby, barely trying, that the moment he was hit he didn't just fall into his respected hole, he willingly dove right into it. That left Shiro, Lance and Keith, who managed to hold their own. Unfortunately, because Keith and Lance still could not go two minutes without one of them insulting the other (primarily Lance), Keith wounded up falling into the hole, as did eventually Lance and Shiro. 

With that failed attempt, Coran had an Lance stand before an invisible maze while Keith gave him directions. Of course, Lance couldn't go two steps without hitting a wall, which also electrocuted him. Even though Keith wouldn't admit it, he was enjoying this all too much.

Afterwards, the paladins were tasked with flying their lions, with the face shields of their helmets turning black, preventing them from seeing. This was in order for them to test the bonds they had with their lions. Hunk whimper out, Pidge lost her momentum and wounded up falling down, while Lance and Keith raced one another…and both winded up hitting head first into a sand dune. The only one who managed to accomplish success was Shiro. While Keith was glad his friend/mentor managed to accomplish this task, it only reminded him that the team was still miles, miles away from working together.

The final test was one where the paladins all sat in a circle with strange devices on their heads. This test involved them to clear their minds of anything aside from Voltron. For Keith, he cleared his mind, but memories of the shack at the desert, and even the juniperberry fields from Allura's memories where the ones he cherished the most. Never the less, everyone managed to manifest a holographic image of their respected lion, but Pidge's image kept fazing in and out before she angrily stood up, removing the device and angrily tossed it to the ground. This was enough to convince Shiro for everyone to take a breather.

Coran kindly handed them some kind of liquid, which looked like normally fizzy water in some kind of juice packet. It tasted no different than fizzy water from back on earth, and the taste was just as sweet yet thirst quenching.Out of all of them, Keith was probably the least tired. He had been quiet during a lot of the training, only speaking when needed, because his mind was mainly on figuring out why they just couldn't work. If Allura saw their progress, given how stressful she was already, she would not be too happy about this.

Keith, of course, was proven right once the Altean Princess walked in, hands on her hips and staring down at them with a fierce look in her eyes. "What are you doing lying around? You're supposed to be training!"

"Just resting a bit." Coran said. "Can't push too hard."

"What do you mean can't push too hard?" Allura exclaimed. "Get you you lazy lumps! It's time you faced the gladiator!"

"Can't we rest for just five minutes?" Lance practically begged. "I feel like my brain is going to explode."

"You think Zarkon will allow you to rest? If anything, you would all be blown to bits if you were in battle!"

Keith, on the other hand, stood upwards after having drunken his alien water. "Take it easy, Allura. I know you're concerned about Zarkon, we all are, so why don't we fight the gladiator and then we can call it a day? Just this once? We won't be of any use against Zarkon's forces if we can't even move."

Allura's fists clenched tightly. Ever since she woke up from her slumber, she found it difficult to sleep at all. Every small moment they waste is another small moment where Zarkon could be one step closer to total universal conquest. Never the less, Keith understood her uneasiness better than any of the paladins, aside from probably Coran. It's the reason why he had agreed to stay up with her and her caretaker to get the castle back up and running. He never left her alone when she really was alone, and he definitely was not going to leave her to face this issue alone either.

He gently took her clenched fist, his soft touch easing her tenseness and her fist unclenched slightly. Allura sighed. "Very well."

Allura watched the team battle the gladiator. So far, Keith and Shiro managed to hold their own rather flawlessly. Keith in particular was a natural, of course he did have the unfair advantage of having previous Altean battle training, while the other paladins were just…well, downright pathetic in her eyes. Shiro, for a moment froze in place, flashes of his time as a prisoner flashed before his eyes, only for Keith to jump right in and save him. Keith managed to block the robot soldier and slice him in half, while Shiro managed to shake himself back to reality.

Allura walked on over, looking at the other paladins in disappointment. "That combat simulator was set at a level fit for an Altean child! You're not even close to working as a team, let alone ready to face Zarkon!"

While her voice indicated she was angry, Keith caught some subtle indication that Allura was not only upset…but also saddened. The princess did not say another word as she left the room, leaving the paladins to watch her leave. Lance sighed and dropped to the floor, happy he can finally rest.

Keith, however, was far from tired.

(~)

_Keith grunted in pain once he landed on his back, with Allura's bow staff at his chest. "Okay, okay, you win! I give!"_

_Allura only laughed and helped him stand back up. Both were panting from the fight. Unlike normal, where the two would have their sparing matches in the training deck of the castle, Keith instead had manifested a copy of the desert area where he often visited whenever he had some down time from the Garrison. His family shack wasn't that far away._

_For the next few days, Allura had grown rather found of this spot from Keith's memory. The shack was small, yet roomy all the same. At first, Keith believed Allura would find the place to be sad, but it surprised him that she was just fascinated to see a small example of earth living. Like in the juniperberry fields, the two were either sit on the porch, or on the small couch inside, talking about whatever topics came to mind._

_"So, let me see if I understand this correctly. You have area such as these where there is very little water, forests where water falls from the sky more often than others, and during the cold times you have small frozen drops of water falling from the sky?"_

_Keith chuckled. As intelligent and advanced as Allura was, it was always rather adorable the way she could be so naive in regards to how things on earth worked, especially the weather._

_"We call the frozen water snow."_

_"And you play in it?"_

_"Well, I've never actually played in it before. I grew up around these parts, so the only times in which I did see snow was in television. But, yeah, basically people like to play in the snow."_

_Allura cocked her head in confusion, a gesture Keith had already grown accustomed to. "What do you earthlings do with this…snow, then? How can frozen water be fun?"_

_"I thought the exact same thing the first time I saw snow while watching a movie with my dad. Kids do things like build a snowman, have snowball fights, make snow angels, go ice skating."_

_"You skate on ice?"_

_"When the water is frozen, yes."_

_Allura blinked and chuckled. "Honestly, your earth costumes continue to both confuse and intrigue me."_

_"I could say the same thing about Altean culture." Keith said, "I can barely pronounce half the words from your vocabulary."_

_"But, you're improving." Allura said, "Besides, it's not like your language is any simpler. I mean, "pea-zzia", really?"_

_The two couldn't help but laugh at Allura's struggle to pronounce the word "pizza", though he was probably doing it in purpose, since she was able to pronounce it just fine the first time._

_"The more I hear about your world, the more I wish I could see it in person." Allura said, her gaze to the ground as she hugged her legs, admiring the small blades of grass that managed to grow despite the harsh desert climate._

_"Yeah… me too." Keith replied, looking rather dejected as he was once again reminded of the fact that none of this was real. It was pretty much the same as when Keith could only see snow via television. It just wasn't the same as the real thing. His cheeks felt suddenly warm once he realized Allura's hand reached out to touch his. Her cheeks were also tainted with a bright red._

_"Even if it's not real, when you have someone to share it with…it feels real."_

_Keith could not agree more. Every time he was with Allura, he had completely forgotten that everything around them was nothing more than an illusion. Still, when they shared it together, it made the experience feel all the more real. Probably because he was enjoying it with someone else._

_In only a few short weeks, Keith felt he had come to know Allura on a truly personal level, and yet he felt there was still much about her left to be discovered. Little did he know, Allura was thinking the same thing about him._

_The princess was surprised to see a small little white flake land on her nose. Once she wiped it off, another one fell, followed by another, then another. In a flash, the entire desert was now covered in a white blanket of shimmering snow, as more of the gentle flakes landed on their cloths and hair. Allura gasped at first before laughing at how the little flakes tickled her skin. She saw the smile on Keith's face who then suddenly sprung upwards, his feet pressing against the snow, laughing as he did, encouraging her to join in._

_Allura ran across the white cold substance, entranced by its beauty. Never in her life had Allura seen anything like it. The sparkle of the snow rivaled the shine of even her most expensive piece of jewelry. She traced her hand over it, surprised to see how soft it was…only to suddenly get hit in the face by a patch of snow. She quickly spun around, only to see Keith laughing at her. In one hand he had a ball of snow. This must be the "snowball fight" he was talking about._

_Allura picked it up rather quickly and rolled a pile of snow into a ball before throwing it back at Keith, right in the face, which knocked him down. He was perfectly fine, but had it been anything else other than soft snow he would most certainly have gotten a concussion. Allura laughed at her hit, which only promoted Keith to throw another snow ball._

_The two laughed like happy children on a snow day, chasing one another while throwing snow at each other. Even though it was harmless snow, Allura treated it as if this were an actual battle, even though it wasn't She certainly had a very aggressive way of enjoying herself at times, which Keith honestly didn't mind at all. As much as he enjoyed peace and quiet, nothing could compare to the adrenaline of a fight, racing across the desert on his hover board, or even sparring with her. Allura was just as unpredictable as Keith was._

_With each passing day, with each new discovery they made of each other, their friendship continued to grow more and more. How strange for these two people to develop such a trust and understanding of one another simply by talking, sharing and, in their case, engage in a "snowball fight to the death!"._

_(~)_

"Ahoy, young paladins! I've whipped up a big batch of focusing foods!" Coran said, once all the paladins were seated at the table. After a long day, the paladins were just happy to finally get some rest and enjoy their meal…until Coran pressed a button and cuffs suddenly sprung from the chairs and chained the paladins together, shocking them all.

"I saw a lot of solid individual performances today." said Coran, "But you're still struggling to work as a team. So welcome to the final bonding exercise of the day."

"Coran, I want you to think about what you're doing." Hunk said while trying to pull away from Lance, who's wrist was cuffed close to his own.

"Oh this one's a classic. You get to feed each other. Like a pack of yalmores!"

The paladins struggled to each their green alien food while being cuffed together, while Allura ate her meal, trying her best not to slam her fists onto the table due to the constant bickering.

"Do earthlings ever stop complaining?"

"Can't you just give us a break?" Shiro asked, "Everyone's been working really hard today."

"Yeah!" Lance exclaimed, "We're not a bunch of prisoners for you to toy with like…like…like a bunch of toy prisoners!"

"Hey! That's _my_ girlfriend your yelling at!" Keith exclaimed, narrowing his eyes at Lance.

"Oh, sure, rub it in why don't you! You know what, you two deserve each other, you're both insane!"

"You do not insult the princess!" Coran exclaimed.

"Oh, the princess of what? We're the only ones out here and she's no princess of ours!" Pidge said harshly…only to get her face covered in green goo, which was thrown by Allura herself. A small, subtle smirk could be seen on her face, no doubt in satisfaction of her hit.

Seeing this, Keith saw the chance and grabbed his plate. "Go loose, Pidge!" he cried out and tossed the food goop at Allura and Coran. Before long, an epic food fight ensued. What first started as just a means to get back at the Alteans, quickly shifted into a hilarious, fun-filled gave of toss. It was reminiscent of the snowball fights Allura and Keith had back on the Astral Plane. In fact, out of everyone, the two laughed the hardest.

Eventually, Allura surrendered, sitting back on her chair, with her cloths, face and hair all covered in food, as it was for the paladins. They were silent before bursting out laughing, not only at how silly they all looked, but also at the fact that the food fight was actually more fun than they expected.

"Enough!" Allura yelled, cutting through the laughter. "Do you see what you're doing?!" the paladins all flinched, looking at one another with worry at what the princess would say next…. "You're finally working together as one!"

"Hey, she's right." Keith said.

"I actually don't hate you right now." said Lance, which had to be the first nice thing he had ever said to Keith.

"You guys thinking what I'm thinking?" Hunk said.

"Let's go form Voltron!" Shiro replied, raising his hand in the air.

"Actually, I was thinking desert, but yeah let's do it!"

Just as expected, the team managed to form the robot warrior with ease, all the while Allura and Coran observed with great pride. "I told you I could get them to do it." Allura said. "They just needed something to bring them together. Even if it is a common enemy."

"Yes, like the old proverbs says; "A man can be driven to do anything is a beautiful woman is just really, really mean to him." Coran said, making Allura pout in annoyance.

(~)

Lance pounded his fist into the air, still feeling the remaining effects of the adrenaline. "Man that was cool! I'm so charged up I don't know if I'm going to be able to sleep tonight."

"Not me." Keith said, relaxing on his spot on the couch. "When my head hits the pillow, I'm gonna be lights out."

"Let me guess, you and Allura got a date planned on that dream wonderland of yours?"

"The Astral Plane was caused by the cryo-pod. That wonderland is long gone." Keith said, followed by the sound of the doors sliding open.

"Besides, why go back to the dream world when you've got the real thing?" Allura said, approaching the group and sitting beside Keith on the couch. Keith instinctively wrapped his arm around her shoulder. "You were pretty good back there."

"Thanks. Probably one of your best ideas yet."

"Wait, what?!" Lance exclaimed in shock. "You mean you two--and the--and we--"

"You planned this, didn't you?" Shiro concluded, smiling humorously at the couple.

"You caught us." Keith confessed, all the while smiling at his and Allura's little scheme.

"I've been so concerned with making you warriors, that I had forgotten what it really takes to make people work together: A real relationship with one another. You all just needed to bond on a genuine level and see one another as friends other than co-workers. The snowball fights we used to have gave me the idea."

"Snowball fights?" Lance asked. He only shook his head and rubbed his temples. "Never mind, I don't want to know. Whatever happened in the Astral Plane, stays in the Astral Plane."

Hunk wiped away a tear from his eye. "That was very beautiful, Princess." he said as he slid down to the sofa, wrapping his arms around Lance and Keith and brought them in for a great big bear hug. "I just want you to know, that I realized while we were in Voltron, we're brothers man. You know, like we're totally connected, no secrets, no barriers no nothing. Brothers, all the way. I love you guys."

"G force's mess with your head a little bit?"

"Yeah, maybe a little bit, I don't know, it's been a tough few days."

Allura was the first to stand back up. "Well, I can confidently say we have all earned a well deserved rest. Keith, care to join me for dinner? I promise not to throw anything this time."

"I'd love to." Keith said and he and Allura walked out, with their arms around each other. Once they were gone, Lance only shook his head.

"Those two really are weird."

"Yeah." Hunk agreed. "But it's a sweet kind of weird."


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Keith isn’t exactly used to be surrounded by a lot of people, the only two people he can really confined in are Allura and Shiro, but these paladins may surprise him yet.

Allura's vision was blurry, due to the still lingering drowsiness of her long deep slumber. Once all became clear she gasped softly at seeing the mice holding what appeared to be a white piece of paper, eloquently folded to resemble an earth rose. The princess's heart filled with joy and she smiled. She gently took the paper rose into her hands, admiring the complex yet artistic fashion of the folds. Keith had demonstrated this skill they did in Japan known as origami. He mentioned to have learned it once when he was around twelve to pass the time.

After getting dressed and freshened up for the day ahead, Allura walked into the kitchen, only to see a certain Red Paladin sitting at the breakfast table, already chewing on the green food which Coran had introduced them too. He showed very little reaction to how it tasted, but she caught subtle hints of cringing. Poor thing was willing himself to eat the tasteless and somewhat mushy food just so his stomach wouldn't be empty.

Keith looked up from his bowl to see Allura smiling, while holding the paper rose in her hands. "I see you and the mice are getting along pretty well."

"It's easy when you can actually understand them."

"Good to know I'm not the only one." Allura said with a giggle.

As it would seem, just as it was a side effect that Allura could understand the mice from being in the cryo-pod for so long, apparently Keith had some limited ability to understand them as well. It wasn't as strong a connection as Allura's, but he definitely understood their little squeaking better than most of the paladins.

Keith pushed his bowl aside and stood up to greet the princess with a loving kiss on the lips. Allura wrapped her arms around his neck while his arms wrapped around her waist. Once they parted, there was no force in the galaxy that could wipe away their smiles.

"Good morning." Allura finally said, her smile growing wider. She took notice of Keith looking rather surprised. "What?"

"It's just still kind of weird. Saying 'good morning' to each other like this."

"A good kind of weird, or a bad kind of weird?" Allura asked. Her reply, was Keith's lips against hers once more, to which she happily welcomed.

"Good kind." Keith replied, their lips only an inch apart before connecting once again. Like two pieces of a puzzle, merging perfectly with one another. Allura's hands cupped Keith's neck, her fingers tangled in his wild raven hair as she leaned further in, deepening the kiss. One of Keith's hands reached upwards to caress her long silvery hair.

"I'm telling you, Pidge! Righteous Furry has more defense points than Silver Wings!" a voice called out, causing both Keith and Allura to cease what they were doing and rapidly turn their heads to see Hunk and Pidge enter the kitchen, in what appeared to be a heated argument of some kind.

"Maybe in season 2, but by season 3 his training was what got him the Emperor's power boost so--" Pidge stopped midway, her and Hunk's eyes widening in surprise upon seeing the position both the Red Paladin and the Princess were in. "Uh…are we interrupting something?"

"Yes."

"No." Allura said causally as she slowly released herself from Keith's arms and the two were now a foot apart, both blushing from embarrassment. "We were just, saying good morning."

"Right, of course. You know what, maybe we should come back after you're done…saying "good morning". Pidge said, about ready to make her leave.

"But I'm hungry!" Hunk whined.

"And I just lost my appetite."

"It's fine. You guys can have the kitchen." Allura said, gently taking Keith by the hand and leading him out, with both Hunk and Pidge shrugging.

Once they were far enough away, Allura face palmed herself with both hands, groaning in embarrassment. "I am so sorry!"

"Don't be. I guess it's gonna take some getting used to." Keith said with one hand to his hip and a faint tint of red on his cheeks. "We're not the only ones in the castle anymore."

Allura smiled and walked a few feet closer, her hands now on Keith's shoulder. "We are right now." she said in a low, flirtatiously alluring tone, which made Keith smirk before leaning in…

"Princess! Good, you're up!" Coran called out, forcing the two teens to stop once again. Allura sucked in her lips, trying desperately not to groan in frustration. The man had his nose down to the pad in his hand so he only saw Allura's hair and not who she was with. "I just wanted to--" when he looked back up, only then did he see her with Keith. "Oh, good morning there, Keith."

"Hey." Keith greeted in a rather unenthusiastic and deadpan tone.

"Sorry to interrupt, just wanted to let you know I've gotten most of the nebulon busters up and running, but there a still a few more that need some looking into. There also seems to be a small glitch in one of the--"

"I'll look into it as soon as I can, Coran. Thank you." Allura said, cutting the man half way.

"Alright then." Coran gave a salute before walking off into the kitchen. "As you two were." he said casually.

Keith and Allura took to heart his advice and proceeded to indeed finish where they left off.

"Come on, can't I pilot the Black Lion just once?"

"I already told you, Lance. No. Besides, you already have the Blue Lion, remember?"

"I know, but I just want to get the feel of it is all."

"Of course." Keith muttered bitterly as Shiro and Lance walked down the hallway. Allura shared the same reaction, but put on a polite face once the two approached.

"Morning, Princess." Shiro greeted. "Morning, Keith."

"Morning, Shiro." Keith replied, though he sounded a bit more cheerful, there was still a lingering aura of disappointment in his words. This side revealed itself in full when he laid eyes on the blue paladin.

"Lance."

"Keith." Lance folded his arms and "humphed" after saying his name.

"Sorry, were we interrupting something?"

"You weren't the only one." Keith muttered, which resulted in Allura needing to elbow him hard in the gut.

"Sorry. Just wanted to let you know we've got early morning practice today. So you guys fill up and get to your lions as soon as you're all done." Shiro said before making his way to the kitchen.

"Don't be late, Romeo." Lance taunted as he walked into the kitchen behind Shiro, making Keith narrow his eyes until the doors closed.

At last, the two got some time to themselves, but unfortunately, the encounter with the rest of the team reminded them that they most definitely were no longer in the Astral Plane anymore. Their mission to stop Zarkon was first and foremost no matter what.

"Sorry." Allura said with regret. "But Shiro does have a point. We have to focus on what's important right now." her eyes widened in realization at what she had just said, "N-Not that _this_ isn't important to me, because it is! What I meant was that--"

Keith cut her off by gently cupping her cheek. "It's okay, I get it. Our top priority is to defeat Zarkon. We all know that."

Allura placed her own hand over the one Keith used to caress her left cheek, feeling the warmth of his touch. "We may not have as much private time as we used to, but at least we're on this mission together."

"Exactly." Keith leaned in, catching Allura's lips with his. They resumed the same position they were in before their first interruption.

"I love you." Keith said softly into Allura's ear, to which she replied by kissing his cheek.

"I love you, too."

"Hunk! Quit hogging all the food goo!" Lance shouted from the other side of the enclosed doors, which once again, killed the romantic mood.

"You took my bowl first!" Hunk shouted back.

"Hunk, you spit in my eye!" Pidge shouted as well.

Allura took a tentative step back, pointing her thumb to the hallway behind her. "I should go check on the--"

"Yeah, and I should, get back to--"

"I'll see you after practice."

"Bye."

"Bye."

(~)

_As fascinating as the already advanced technology on earth was, there was no denying the artistically stunning designs of the robot lions. Allura had manifested small models of the lions of Voltron. Before, she just showed Keith images, but this time she wanted to demonstrate these magnificent metallic beasts up close, using the workings of the Astral Plane to her advantage._

_Both sat on opposite sides of the couch, with Allura waving her hands to make the mechanical lions move before Keith's very eyes._

_"Whoa." he said. There wasn't much else he could say, or at least anything that didn't come to mind right then and there. "I've seen plenty of robots and stuff back home, but never anything like this." his hand reached towards one of the lions, specifically the red one, while Allura playfully got it to fly around him, which in turn made Keith laugh. No matter what, she always found some small way to humor him. While they both knew they still had a mystery on their hands, Allura was still very much enjoying having someone to talk to._

_"The lions of Voltron were my father's most prized creation." Allura explained. "They were designed solemnly to defend the universe. Even as a child I was often enchanted by what they could do."_

_"Did you ever fly in one of them?"_

_"Oh, no." Allura shook her head while chuckling bashfully. "Only those who have bonded with the lions are allowed to pilot them."_

_"How exactly do they bond with a paladin?" Keith asked, deeply intrigued by this concept. "Do they have minds of their own?"_

_"It is difficult to explain. Even I don't fully comprehend it. Believe me, I've tried. I guess, there are some things science really just can't explain."_

_"Well, I guess I can't entirely disagree." said the young lad who was speaking to an alien princess from a far away galaxy in a computerized dream-like world of her home planet while small flying robot lions twirled and jumped around them._

_"What were the original paladins like?" Keith asked._

_"They were legends in their own right. Selfless, strong and fearless. They never turned their back on anyone in need, no matter who or what they were. Their mentality was always to do what was right, no matter the sacrifice."_

_"Sounds… pretty hardcore."_

_"I suppose." Allura's eyes darted to the side, looking dejected. "Of course, not all stories have happy endings."_

_Keith realized he had unintentionally driven Allura right back to that dark place in her memories. "Allura, I-I'm sorry, I didn't mean--"_

_"No, it's alright. You should be allowed to learn about Voltron. If we ever find the other lions."_

_"Didn't your father leave some kind of clue?"_

_"If he did I wouldn't know about it. I've spent a long time exploring my memories, even my most suppressed ones in hopes of uncovering something I might have missed… and nothing." Allura looked dejected again before returning her attention back at Keith. "What about you? Have you managed to find anything?"_

_"While we have uncovered a lot of different galaxies way beyond our own, so far I haven't found anything about Altea, or how to get there. Yet."_

_"Well, to be fair, I've never heard of your planet until you came so, I guess we're on the same boat."_

_"Don't worry, we'll keep trying."_

_"Keith, while I am grateful that you wish to help me, I really hope I'm not becoming a hinder for you and your studies."_

_"No, of course not. Besides, I don't usually talk with that many people, so my calendar is pretty much always open." Keith said with a light humorous tone, which even got Allura giggling. Unlike Allura, Keith hadn't shared too much of his personal life yet. Mainly because it wasn't as easy for him as it was for Allura, but as time went on, Keith bit by bit found himself comfortable enough to share some parts of his daily life with the princess._

_She was certainly more talkative than Keith was, but it was never to the same level as some of the more chatty students at the Garrison, who wouldn't shut up about literally everything. Anything Allura spoke about had some form of value, be it of personal significance of in relation to their quest to finding answers. Straightforward and focused on the goal at hand, while still finding some time to engage in casual conversation that didn't feel forced._

_"Oh, come on, I'm sure you have at least a couple friends."_

_"Well, there is Shiro, but he's more of a big brother."_

_"How long have you known each other?"_

_"A long time. I was in a pretty dark place when I was a kid. If it hadn't been for him, my life would have turned out very differently. He's the one who got me enrolled at the Garrison. So, really, I owe a lot to him."_

_"He sounds wonderful." Allura said with a smile. "Does he have any other friends?"_

_"Are you kidding? He's a super star at the Garrison." Keith's smile then faded away. "He's a lot better at talking to people than I am. Actually, he's better at a lot of things."_

_Allura's smile also morphed into a frown. "Well, for what it's worth, I wasn't always the best at talking to people either."_

_"That's really sweet of you, but you don't have to--"_

_"Oh, no, I'm serious. While, yes, I am more accustomed to royal galas and diplomatic gatherings and such, I never… had real friends my own age growing up. In fact, any child who saw me would immediately start treating me like the princess I was, so not much of a friendship really. Truly, my only real best friend was my father." her smile returned. "The one person who always believed in me."_

_Keith's smile returned as well. "Guess that's something we have in common." he hunched forward, resting his hands on his knees._

_"But, you have Shiro… and… me?" Allura said the last word with evident self caution._

_Keith felt his cheeks turn red upon seeing the bashful look on Allura's face. He still wasn't entirely sure if it was due to the solitude that they had, or if it really was that Allura was just this genuinely nice person with whom he felt confident enough to converse with. Either way, the fact that she hoped he considered her his friends tugged on his heart strings._

_"Yeah… and you."_

_His body began to flash in and out again, which of course meant he had to leave again. "I'll see you again tonight?" Allura said, still having that adorably bashful look on her face._

_"Definitely." Keith replied before his body disappeared in a blinding light. His eyes fluttered open and he groaned in disappointment once he sat upright on his bed. Looking at the clock beside him, his eyes snapped open._

_"Not again!"_

_As quickly as he could, Keith made it to his first class, approximately five minutes late. He apologized for his tardiness and retreated to his seat, which was right next to the window. The morning sunlight kissed his skin, which eased his tension. He gave a small smile as he looked out into the horizon before paying his attention back at the black board. He had shown Allura that very same desert location a few nights ago. The astonished look on her face still made him smile._

_The sound of whispering from behind him snapped him out of his happy daydream. Two boys speaking to one another. He knew they were talking about him. Just as Shiro had said, Keith was even more disconnected from the world than before. He made even less eye contact with anyone than before, he was late almost every day, and he spent most of his time researching planets, space travel and far off galaxies, even some alien documents which he unfortunately had to look up in these ammeter conspiracy theory websites. His drifting off and unexpected smiling certainly didn't help his situation._

_Never the less, even with this slowly growing unwanted attention, mostly from the teachers than the students, Keith did not regret visiting Allura every night. Not by a long shot._

_After lunch, Keith had a free period so he was heading for the library, yet again. He was blocked by a few students. "Hey, Keith." one of the boys greeted him. "Steve and the guys are having a get together at the town arcade. Want to come?"_

_"Sorry, I can't." Keith replied in a straight forward manner. "I have a lot of work to catch up on. Thanks anyway." he politely excused himself and made a turn, missing entirely on what the boys said next._

_"Seriously, what is with that guy?"_

_"Guess he's more interested in little green men than actual people.”_

_  
(~)_

"Great job training today, guys. We're really getting the hang of Voltron." Shiro said as he and the rest of the paladins entered the dinning hall.

"Seriously. How far do you think my lion kicked that broken alien ship? Must have been like a mile." Lance said, literally congratulating himself.

"Yeah. That'll come in handy when the Galra challenges Voltron to a soccer match." Keith said with bitter sarcasm. While training did indeed go rather well, it would have been better had Lance not patted himself on the back for every small thing he somehow managed to do right. Even Keith would admit Lance did pretty good as well, but his ego was already inflated enough as it was that if Keith ever did say so out loud, Lance would certainly hold it against him.

"Hey, I did something cool and you can't handle it. I get it." Lance said, once again, rubbing his ego all over the place.

"Your kick ruined our balance. We fell." Keith pointed out, which was indeed true. After all, Keith was never one to sugarcoat the truth. Never was and never would be.

"Well that falling part was Hunk's fault!"

"Hey!" Hunk exclaimed in annoyance.

"Alright! Save your energy for fighting Zarkon!" Shiro shouted, speaking to them as if they were children bickering over the last chocolate chip cookie on the dinner plate.

Coran walked in soon afterwards, carrying a plate with a lid on it to reveal a steaming, and undeniably gross looking food that looked almost like some kind of dead alien animal, which by the looks of it might as well be. It not only looked gross, but it smelled gross too, even Hunk concluded it to be so, and he was a master chef so he would know.

Keith walked away from the horrifying food, hearing only bits of the conversation between Shiro and Coran about Pidge's whereabouts.

"Where are you going?" Lance asked once Keith was halfway to the door. He completely ignored the Blue Paladin and was out before Lance even had the chance to pout in annoyance. Shiro had left as well to go find Pidge and Hunk had retreated to the kitchen to make a better lunch, leaving him with Coran. Even if Keith didn't say where he was going, Lance already had a hunch.

Inside the control room, Allura sighed in satisfaction once she had completed her work. The doors slid open and in walked Keith.

"How was training?" she asked, sitting down on the floor while she had been fixing what was needed in order to get the castle ready to leave the planet.

Keith took a spot beside her. "Great, except Lance couldn't resist showing off. Though, on the plus side, Hunk only threw up once this time around."

Allura giggled while Keith scooted closer, wrapping his arms around her, kissing her cheek. "How's your progress going?"

"Just got the final booster up and running. We should be ready to leave Arus by tomorrow."

"Zarkon won't know what hit him." Keith said with fierce determination, followed by Allura kissing his lips once more, her free hand cupping his cheek as Keith leaned in further.

"Where are the others now?"

"Hunk's trying to make lunch after Coran's choice received…unpleasant results."

"Ah, yes. I remember he used to feed me that when I was young." Allura gagged at the memory. "You've definitely, what is that phrase you say? "Dodged a bullet"?"

Keith laughed, "Yeah." he kissed her forehead and Allura rested her head on his shoulder, enjoying each other's company.

"You said they studied at the Garrison as well, right?" Allura asked.

"Well, Lance and Hunk did. Pidge enrolled after I was kicked out."

"And, you didn't remember them at all." Allura stated.

"Well…no, not really." Keith confessed, feeling a tiny bit embarrassed, which resulted in Allura sitting up straight to look directly at Keith.

"Keith, now that you're part of a team, you think maybe you could make more of an effort to get along with them?"

"Didn't we bond over that food fight thing already?"

"I think you're smart enough to know exactly what I mean." Allura said, rising a brow. Keith bit his bottom lip, knowing she was right. Allura's expression softened before continuing. "I know it's always been hard for you to get along with others, but if we're going to save the universe from Zarkon we have to try straighten the bonds between the team. Plus, it might even be good for you to break out of your shell a bit."

Keith knew, deep down, Allura was right, no matter how much the idea of trying to form a closer bond with the paladins scared him. He always struggled to make friends, with Shiro and Allura both being the blessing exceptions. Shiro was practically his mentor and the older brother he never had. He filled the void left by his father, and Allura…well, while Shiro may have helped with Keith's confidence a bit, Allura definitely allowed him to open his heart more, and to realize just what he wanted to do; which was to help her save the galaxy. Could it be possible to develop new and just as strong friendships with the other paladins as well?

Allura wrapped her arms around his neck. "We'll take it one step at a time. And I'll right here to help give you that little extra push you need."

Keith thanked Allura by--what else--kissing her.

While they have kissed before on the Astral Plane, somehow doing it in the real world and not just in a dream sent a wave of electricity coursing through their bodies and their hearts pounding hard against their ribcages, as if trying to break free.They broke apart when Hunk's voice was heard from the intercom.

"Paladins, princess and space mice! Come on down and prepare to have your taste buds electrified!"

"Looks like somebody learned how to use the intercom." Keith said, once again disappointed to have their moment interrupted.

Still, neither of them could deny that, after a long morning, they were indeed famished.

Keith had to hand it to Hunk, his cooking skills were nothing short of amazing. He didn't waste a second and dove right in at the same time as Lance. Even Allura couldn't resist taking a bowl of the food and eating it herself, all while Coran watched with envy.

"They seem to like the paladin lunch." Allura said.

"I don't want to talk about it." Coran said enviously as he turned away, arms crossed like a jealous little child.

"I just got the final nebulon booster working! We should be able to leave planet Arus tomorrow, and take the fight to Zarkon!"

The alarms of the castle blazed and Allura activated the screen to showcase that strange alien creature was approaching the castle. It was small with stubby legs, and hands on its feet, wielding some kind of knife rapidly. It was almost the size of a ten-year-old child by the human's perspective.

"What is that?" Keith asked, his protective instincts kicking in.

"I don't know what it is." Allura replied, arching an eyebrow at the peculiar thing. "Maybe it's a local Arusian."

Hunk gushed over how adorable the little creature was, while Lance only shrugged. "Doesn't look too dangerous."

"You never know." Keith said while activating his bayard.

Allura turned to face him. "No. Alteans believe in peace first. Let's go welcome them."

Coran, Hunk and Lance followed Allura to greet the little creature, but Keith, word for word, said he was not taking any chances.

Once they were outside, the little Arusian hid in the bushes. Allura kindly approached him, speaking in a kind but very dignified and regally polite fashion. Every bit a princess.

"Greetings. We know you're there. No harm will come to you." she said, crunching down a bit to indicate she was not a threat. The little alien leaped out, pointing his razor sharp blade at the princess. However, his small height made it difficult for anyone to feel intimidated.

"Wait! He could be dangerous!" Keith stepped forward, shielding Allura with one hand while holding his bayard with the other. "Drop your weapon."

"No one takes Klaizap's weapon!" said the little Arusian.

"Keith, put that away!" Allura told him. While she appreciated his concern, the boy needed to calm down. If this little creature was indeed a threat then he would have attacked already. Besides, even if he did intend to harm them, they outnumbered and outsized him, and that was excluding the Voltron lions.

The princess introduced herself to the little one. He introduced himself as Klaizap and came seeking answers as to why their "Lion Goddess" was angry with his people. As it turns out, the Arusians had mistaken Allura for their so called goddess and believed she was angered when they witnessed the battle between Voltron and the Galra ship the other day….and possibly from the training they were doing as well. Allura kindly asked Klaizap to take them to the village to properly greet them.

"What about our mission to get off this planet and fight Zarkon?" Keith reminded her.

"Part of the Paladin's mission is to spread peace and diplomacy. Arus has been our host for ten thousand years. These people deserve out thanks."

While Keith was still hesitant, he figured these little Arusians really didn't pose a threat. Still, if there was anything Keith learned from his childhood, it was that one can never be too careful. Still, it was nice to see Allura being so comfortable and even eager to meet the Arusians. After being in that Astral Plane for so long with very little contact with the outside world (aside from himself), she deserved to make as many new friends as she wished.

(~)

As expected, Keith's search did not go as he had hoped. He would have asked for more information from the teachers, but he had a feeling he would receive the exact same results. After a long day, Keith retired once again, rather early. One would think that for someone who went to bed early he would have better luck waking up to get to class on time.

If only they knew.

Once he had arrived on the Astral Plane, immediately, he knew something was amiss. As if the darkened palace didn't already give it away.

Normally, the Altean palace was lit up like a warm sunny day, but this time it felt cold and lifeless. Almost dead. His thoughts immediately went to the princess, who was not present.

"Allura!" he cried out and ran up the stairs, calling out her name. "Allura! Allura!" he yelled again and again, running down every hallway which he had applied to his memory. Normally, Allura was always there to greet him, but this time she was nowhere in sight.

"Allura, where are you?" Keith yelled again, louder and louder with each turn he made and with every room he lode into. He rushed towards the training deck, but she was not there either. His heart raced faster and faster and his legs picked up the past as he ran towards the control room.

"Allura!!" He yelled again once the doors slid open and he gasped. There she was, on the floor in the very center of the control room. While the floor itself was present, everything else, from the controls, to the windows and the large Balamar Crystal above her, were all absent. The only things around her was a vast, black void with images of what appeared to be visions of the distant past.

He saw Alteans, complete with the pointed ears and facial markings, wearing futuristic looking armor and piloting the robots. This was the first time he witnessed them in action, soaring through the skies and then merging together to create Voltron. However, that was only one of the many images around him. He saw flashes of a vast civilization, which he immediately concluded as Altea in its prime. Scenes of a young Allura, happily playing with her father went past him like a speeding car, and even scenes where Alteans appeared to be working alongside these purple looking aliens with almost feline/bear-like features.

One of them was a tall, intimidating yet still surprisingly friendly looking creature with yellow eyes, speaking amicably with a younger looking King Alfor. The next scene revealed the same purple creature piloting one of the lions.

The Black Lion. The Head of Voltron. The leader.

Keith's eyes widened and he gasped. When more images of the creature flashed, Allura let out an angry cry, gripping her head tightly while tear streamed from her tightly closed eyes. Her brows twitched and furrowed and droplets of sweat formed on her forehead, rolling down her face, merging with her tears. Her body was trembling as the images of the said friendly looking creature instantly turned into images of a menacing, diabolical looking dictator with a long cape, leading a military sized platoon of ships, aiming their lasers directly at the Altean Castle.

Keith rushed to Allura's side, her body was cold as ice and she refused to move from the position she was in. Even her arms felt like stone, no matter how hard he tried to budge she just wouldn't bend.

"Allura? Allura! Allura, snap out of it!" he yelled, gripping her wrists as tightly as he could as the sound of explosions and people yelling and crying echoed in the void. Keith shook her as hard as he could, but she was still reluctant.

"_**ALLURA WAKE UP!!!**_"

_At last, Allura's eyes opened, her muscles relaxed and the images all vanished in the blink of an eye, leaving behind nothing but the black surrounding. Allura inhaled a huge amount of oxygen, as if she were surfacing from the water and was in desperate need of air. Her breathing eased as did Keith's grip on her wrists._

_"Keith?" she asked, her vision stabilizing once she saw the young man before her. His gently lowered her hands and took slow deep breaths alongside her. Instinctively, he cupped her cheek to let her know she was not alone._

_"I'm here. It's okay." he said in the most gentle voice possible. Allura managed to calm down and allowed Keith to help her back to her feet. He looked around, making sure none of the terrifying images didn't reappear. "What was all of that?" he asked._

_Allura took in another deep breath before replying. "After our last talk, I spent all day trying to look back as far as I possibly could, in hopes of finding something that could tell us as to where my father could have hidden the lions. Or a message of some kind. But there was nothing."_

_Allura struggled to even look Keith directly in the eye, her body trembling softly only for Keith to wrap his arms around her. The princess rested her hands on his chest and her head on his shoulder. She was too overwhelmed to pay as much attention to his strong arms embracing her, giving her a warm sensation in her chest._

_"Who was that? That scary purple guy?" Keith asked, concluding he was the one who was giving Allura suck a shock._

_"That… that was Zarkon." she hesitantly replied. Upon hearing this, Keith placed two and two together._

_"Zarkon was a paladin?"_

_Allura forcibly stepped away from him, her eyes closed shut as more tears came out. She hugged her body, unwilling to look back at him. "I'm so sorry! I intended to tell you, honest, but I… I wasn't ready."_

_Keith didn't hold it against her, and instead he took a step forward, attempting to comfort her again, but seeing how she was trying to distance himself, he figured it would be best not to disrespect her boundaries. "It's okay. I understand." he said._

_His words finally got to her and Allura finally met his gaze. His soft, warm, and kind gaze which made her racing heart slow down. Seeing the chance, Keith placed a hand on her shoulder, smiling sympathetically. "It'll be alright. You shouldn't push yourself like this."_

_"Well I can't just sit around and let you do this alone!" Allura snapped. Her peace from earlier already evaporating away. "I already feel terrible enough for pulling you into all of this and I just--"_

_"Allura!" Keith boldly gripped both of her shoulders to calm her down again. The woman was stressed beyond belief. "You have nothing to feel sorry for!"_

_"I have everything feel sorry for! I'm stuck in this place with no idea how I will ever return home, and now you're wrapped up in this mess just as much as I am! I know I said maybe you were somehow meant to help me, and I really do believe that, not to mention I was so happy to finally have somebody to talk to so I wouldn't loose my mind, but now we're left with more questions than answers and you're spending hours trying to help me and I just feel so helpless and it makes me so angry I--"_

_Allura was immediately cut off when Keith wrapped his arms around her yet again. No words, no warning beforehand, he just went for it. His head rested on her shoulder and small traces of his hair tickled her cheek. Allura was stunned at first before placing her hands on his back, letting the hot tears roll down from her cheeks._

_In her angry ranting, the blackness around them started to silently crack and the image reverted back to the juniperberry fields once more. Keith slowly loosened his grip and wiped away Allura's tears with his thumb._

_"It's not your fault."_

_"Keith… you don't have to do this if you--"_

_"You're not getting rid of me that easily."_

_"But, I--"_

_"I promise you, no matter how long it takes, we will find a way to wake you up and find those lions. It may not have been my choice to have been brought here, but it was my choice to stay. Please, don't think you're being a burden on me, because you're not." Keith's beautiful indigo eyes softened as he cupped Allura's cheek, still wiping away the tears that kept on coming. "You're my friend, Allura. I'll be here for you no matter what… I want to be."_

_Allura's tears wouldn't stop only this time they were tears of joy. She hugged Keith in return. "Thank you." she whispered into his ear, her tears staining his cloths, to which she payed no mind._

_Keith meat every word. He knew there wasn't much Allura could do in the Astral Plane, even if she tried so hard to debunk that fact. Never the less, Keith was more than willing to give him time to helping her._

_Just because Keith had been separated from his family, didn't mean Allura had to face the same fate. Someone like her didn't deserve to be alone. Maybe he could handle it because he was accustomed to it by now, but Allura had a mission. He would regret it for the rest of his life if he didn't know he gave it all he had to help her accomplish it._

_(~)_

Meeting the Arusians was certainly an interesting one. The little aliens bowed before Allura, completely convinced she was their goddess. They began with a ceremonial "apology" dance, but when Allura tried to explain the situation, the aliens mistook it as her not accepting the apology and even attempted actual suicide.

Thankfully, Allura stopped them from doing so. This time, she managed to finally reveal to them the truth that she was not in fact a goddess (though, Keith certainly would think otherwise), but rather that the giant in the sky, Voltron, was here to help and protect them from harm. The Arusians welcomed their heroes with open arms, each one walking up to the paladins and Coran, hugging and playfully thanking them.

Keith was taken aback when one Arusian just jumped up and hugged him. These little guys certain were friendly.

"Uh, I don't usually hug strangers but, man, you are cuddly."

"Thank you." said the Arusian… in an unexpectedly deep voice.

Allura approached the two, giggling at the scene as the Arusian jumped off and went on to hug the other paladins. One little child hugged Allura's leg before hugging Keith's. The princess took notice of Keith's uncomfortableness and casually grabbed his hand.

"Relax. They're not going to bite."

"Sorry, but you know I'm not good with large crowds."

"Yes, I know, it can be a bit difficult." Allura said, taking a step closer, intertwining her fingers with his and her free hand resting on his chest. "But difficult doesn't equal impossible. Besides, having a princess on your arm is usually a good conversation starter."

Keith and Allura laughed at the joke. The paladins managed to get along wonderfully with the Arusians, and while Keith still wasn't that big of a conversationalist, he was starting to loosen up a bit by being around the little creatures. A few of the younger ones walked up to him, asking where he got the armor, what his lion could do, and even if he had a weapon. A few of the younger little female Arusians asked Allura questions like how many tiaras she owned, how many dresses, if she knew how to fight, or if she had any powers of her own. The group swarmed the princess, and Keith casually leaned against a tree, watching Allura playfully answer the children's questions.

The words didn't really stick with Keith, on account of his attention was more on Allura's beaming smile. She looked so content, alive and vibrant, chatting up a storm with the aliens, while still keeping her air of diplomacy and elegance. He could definitely tell that when in "princess" mode, Allura could speak to almost anyone, but the woman would definitely stand out in any common social gathering back on earth. At least she could talk more than Keith would. Never the less, that princess mask was slowly withering away the more she spoke with the Arusians. He wondered if, perhaps, all that time talking with him back on the Astral Plane played any part in her being a bit more casual and at ease. Either way, Allura was just happy to finally be interacting with other species that weren't lifeless puppets.

The celebration came to an abrupt halt when Allura heard Shiro's voice through ther communicator earrings.

"Shiro?"

"What's going on?" Keith asked. The Arusians gasped in terror when they saw something flying into the atmosphere of the planet, causing it to quack. From the looks of it, it was yet another visit from the Galra. "We got to get to our lions!"

"Everyone get inside and stay down!" Allura said as the Arusians all ran from the scene…as did Hunk.

"Not you!" Keith said as he forcibly pulled the now crying Yellow Paladin by the collar of his armor.

Coran and Allura agreed to remain with the Arusians while the rest of the paladins hurried to their lions. Keith quickly turned to Allura, placing a kiss on her lips before parting.

"Stay safe." he said. Allura nodded and he ran into his lion while she and Coran returned to help protect the Arusians.

The three remaining lions arrived just in time to assist Shiro and Pidge against what appeared to be some kind of giant robot beast. Judging by the coloring, this creature was no doubt Galra origins. Shiro's first course of action was to form Voltron, knowing that as five individual lions. But, much to the heros' surprise, the monster had the upper hand on Voltron, the supposed most powerful weapon in the universe.

The giant robot was tossed around like a rag doll by one of the creature's blasts, which sent it hurling towards a mountain, overlooking the village.

"Oh, no. We have to protect those people!" Shiro said. Keith's eyes widened upon seeing the Arusian village. Shiro was right, they had to protect them. 

All of them.

Allura and Coran led the Arusians inside a large cave, while the entire planet trembled, no doubt from the fight between Voltron and the giant monster. As terrified as Allura was, she remained strong in the face of it all. These Arusians were looking to her and the paladins for strength, she promised them Voltron would protect them, and she refused to go back on that promise. She only hoped the paladins were doing alright.

At one point, Lance tried to do a kick to block the incoming blast--and just as Keith predicted-- it failed. Miserably.

At another instance, Pidge tried to fire the lasers she instead accidentally formed the shield, which also allowed the monster to whoop them into another rock.

"Shiro we gotta move!" Keith said after the monster's glowing orbs stroked them down once again. The leader did not reply. "Shiro, are you there? Shiro!"

"That sound." Shiro finally said, much to Keith's confusion. "I recognize this monster from my time in Zarkon's prison! I know how to beat him. There's a loud sound when the orb returns to the base of the weapon, and every third time that orb needs to charge up that's this monster's weakest point. That's when we strike!"

Following Shiro's instructions, the paladins awaited for the third throw and once the orb was charging they hit the creature right in the chest. For a moment, it looked like they had won, but the creature knocked them down again. Shiro then recalled the last time he fought the monster he had a sword in hand.

After another hit, Keith heard the sound of his lion purring, speaking words only he could comprehend. An opening appeared beside him, matching the size of his bayard. "Wait a second guys. I think my lion's telling me what to do."

"Well whatever it is, hurry up and do it!" Lance said. "He;s about to fire his third shot."

Keith pulled out his bayard and, with a fervid flame igniting within him, he pushed his bayard into the opening, which activated one of Voltron's abilities: A Sword!

With it, Voltron was able to slice the creature right then and there, causing it to explode in a fiery inferno. Keith was still astonished at what had happened, but even more so when he heard the rest of the teem cheering for him. Even Lance of all people!

This was an…odd feeling for sure. Sure, Keith had heard people comment on what a skilled pilot he was back at the Garrison but, never had anyone cheered for him in this fashion. For a short, yet very powerful moment, he genuinely felt he really was a genuine addition to the team. A team that treated one another as friends. It was short and quick, but the feeling no doubt would remain with him long afterwards.

"How did you do that?" Hunk asked, still astonished.

Keith pulled out his bayard, smiling in gratitude while chuckling. "Thanks, Red.”

(~)

_It was the weekend, and Keith had finished all of his homework, giving him plenty of free time to catch up on his research. Of course, he still couldn't find anything of good use. He researched space travel, fall away planets, even dared to Goggle the name "Altea", but all he got were a bunch of random names that sounded and or were spelled similar, but nothing else. He even searched for information about dream worlds and Astral Planes, and while he did find some interesting information, the rest was just crazy superstitions that wouldn't help in his search. Eventually, after hours of web searching, he closed his laptop and leaned back on his chair, rubbing his eyes._

_The knock on the door was heard. "Come in." he replied. There was only ever one person who came to visit him, so there was never a need to ask who it was._

_"Hey. You busy?" Shiro asked once he entered the room._

_"I was, but now I'm taking a break."_

_"Good. Because I brought something that might cheer you up." Shiro said, which only made Keith want to groan. As much as he appreciated Shiro's friendship, it did get a bit annoying when he tried to play "mom" in his life. Thankfully, it was well received when he placed a paper bag with a cinnamon bun inside, along with some coffee._

_"Thanks, Shiro."_

_"Look, I got the rest of the day off, so why don't we hang out?" upon seeing Keith's concerned expression, Shiro rose his hand in surrender. "Don't worry, there's no secret agenda, I promise. I just thought you might need some fresh air is all, and a friend to talk to."_

_Keith looked at the bag and then at the coffee in his hand. He didn't feel right leaving his research like this. But then the memory of Allura pushing herself to try and find more about how to escape the Astral Plane replayed in his mind. He had literally begged her not to push too hard, so maybe if she were here, she'd tell him the same thing. It was only two in the afternoon, so maybe a couple hours talking with Shiro could be the kind of break he needed._

_"Okay. Sure." Keith finally said. After all, he would still have the rest of the night to talk to Allura, who had decided to take a break herself as well. Listening to traditional Altean music fill the air while galloping on the kiger mustang across the fields was just the kind of break she needed as well._

_Besides, she will have all night to spend with Keith._

_(~)_

Allura stood outside watching the sunset. One of the many things she had missed while in stasis. Sure she could manifest many sunsets, but nothing could compare to the universe's natural order of things. Down bellow, she saw Shiro and Pidge speaking with one another, and the shorter paladin hugging the older, seemingly crying. Allura couldn't help but feel a warmth inside upon seeing the two share an intimate family moment. The scene reminded her of all the times her father would embrace her whenever she felt frightened, confused, alone, or in some cases, missing her mother.

She felt the presence of someone else. Turning her head around, she smiled upon seeing her boyfriend, also smiling at the scene down bellow.

"You were all wonderful back there." Allura said, beaming with pride. "You saved the Arusians."

"If my lion hasn't told me about my bayard's ability we would have been toast." Keith said. Then, his smile turned into a slight frown as he turned to look seriously at the princess. "Allura, things from here on out will be different, and no doubt hard, but I just want you to remember, no matter what happens, I'm here for you."

Allura hugged Keith, allowing the happy tears to roll down from her eyes. "I know you are. But don't think for one second I'm going to let you be the only chivalrous one here." she said, staring into his eyes. "You never abandoned me, so I will never abandon you either. We're in this together, no matter what. Not even distance could keep us apart."

Keith could not agree more as he wrapped his arms around her waist and the two leaned in for another kiss.

"Allura! Keith! There you are, I need your help!" Hunk came running out after the two, interrupting their moment--again--only this time they showed genuine concern upon seeing the distressed look on his face.

They followed him back inside, questioning what had happened…only to discover that the dinning hall's lights had been partly dimmed, and an elegant cloth adorned the table, along with the delicious food Hunk had prepared them for lunch that day.

Allura was downright speechless, a wide smile forming, while Keith was left dumbfounded. "Hunk, wha--what is this?"

"Well, I had some left over alien food from lunch and I figured I shouldn't let it go to waste. Also, take it as an apology for this morning."

"Hunk…this is so sweet." Allura said, feeling tickled pink by the kind and thoughtful gesture.

"Yeah, you really didn't have to do this." Keith said, though even he couldn't stop the surprised smile on his face either.

"Eh, don't worry about it." Hunk pulled out a chair, inviting Allura to sit. "Bon appetit." he said and left the room, still smiling in satisfaction, leaving the two to dine.

"Wow." Keith said, still feeling astonished. "That was unexpected."

"Remind me to properly thank him later." Allura said, still grateful to Hunk for making this for the two of them. "So… where were we?" Allura reached out her hand from across the table, placing it over Keith's. After a long day of interruptions, the two could finally kiss in peace.

Today was indeed a long, and surprising day, but even with the giant monster attack and the numerous awkward moments, the two of them not only got the time to themselves, but Allura got to make new friends for the first time in centuries, and Keith, even if for a short moment, discovered what it was like to be part of a group.

Sometimes you find your friends, and other times…they find you.


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “These paladins all may come from different backgrounds, but at the core, they really aren't so different after all. If Keith would give them more of a chance like he did with Allura, maybe he could finally feel like he's a part of something greater for the first time in his life.”

_This time of the month was not an easy one for Keith._

_Where all of the students at the Garrison were lining up to the mailing room to retrieve letters of packages from their families. Thankfully, the day had yet to arrive, but he could already hear the students chatting about how they couldn't wait to hear from their moms, dads, siblings, step-parents, cousins, girlfriends or boyfriends, aunts, uncles, best friends, ect. They were even excited to receive any early or late birthday presents._

_Of course, orphan Keith never got anything on Mail Day for very obvious reasons. After school was over, as always, Keith retreated to his room. He sat on his bed and pulled out the knife Allura had used to nearly cut his throat the first time they met. He still chuckled at the memory of the princess threatening him. He admit, he was a bit worried at first, but in time the memory just served as comedic irony._

_At least the knife now carried another sentimental value to it. After a while of gazing into the blade, Keith decided to visit Allura early and dozed off. Once in the Astral Plane, things went as they always did. When the two weren't thinking on ways for Allura to wake up, they were showing each other parts of their world, sparing, racing together, and even a few weeks ago, Allura encouraged Keith to participate in a splash fight on the Altean lake. The poor boy slipped and fell, but when Allura offered to help him, he pulled her in alongside him, soaking her to the bone._

_Today, Allura was showing Keith some Altean battle ships and weaponry, when she noticed her friend kept drifting off._

_"Keith, are you alright?"_

_"Y-Yeah. I'm fine."_

_"No, you're not. You seem distracted."_

_"It's nothing, really."_

_Allura placed her hand over his. "Keith, it's okay. You don't have to be afraid to tell me."_

_Keith sighed. "There's this monthly event that goes on at the Garrison and, I'm not looking forward to it."_

_"Is it really that awful?"_

_"No, not awful. Just… not one of my best days." seeing Allura's concern, and curiosity, Keith continued. "It's a day where students get letters from their families."_

_Allura's mouth partly opened in realization. "Oh. I see."_

_"I try not to let it bother me too much but--" Keith was cut off guard when he felt Allura's head resting on his shoulder. His face turned as red as his jacket as Allura wrapped her arm around his in an attempt to comfort him. She didn't say a word, only showed him that whatever he wanted to say--if he wished to say it--she was willing to listen._

_Keith smiled as he found himself lost in the comfort of Allura's head on his shoulder and her arm around his own as they sat on the couch together._

_The two sat in perfect silence._

(~)

Allura had never thought she would see the Altean castle so filled with life s it once was. The Arusians certainly made themselves at home, and were kind enough to thank their hosts with a stage presentation of the fight between Voltron and the Galra beast. Allura handed the Arusian King a communicator for which to use in case they ever needed their help.

After chatting with a few of the Arusians, Allura retreated up to the small indoor balconies around the room, observing the paladins socializing with the Arusians. The space mice kept her company as she watched in disgust at Lance attempting to sip the purplish liquid once again, only to puke it out. Hunk made the moment more comical by placing two food pops in his eyes, making the Arusians laugh. He managed to get a giggle out of Allura too.

"Quite the ideal image of "heroism and dignity", aren't they?" Keith surprised Allura with his presence. He was leaning against a pillar, with his arms crossed while tilting his head to the two boys down bellow.

"Oh, you're one to talk, aren't you?" Allura teased. "Don't tell me you didn't find that funny."

"Lance puking in front of everybody at a party? Why would you assume I'd find something so juvenile as funny?"

Allura playfully punched his arm, despite him wearing his paladin armor, her hit went right through it and he most certainly felt the impact. But, rather than feel embarrassed by his powerful girlfriend, Keith was instead motivated to wrap his arms around Allura, catching her off guard, while flashing her a sly grin.

Allura returned the grin and placed a deep, passionate kiss on his lips. Ever since she had awoken from her slumber, and the two had been reunited at long last, they took every small chance they had to enjoy their physical time together.

Once the kiss ended, Keith noticed Allura's smile was slowly wavering. "Everything okay?"

"Well, not _everything_ everything."Allura confessed,keeping her hands on Keith's shoulders as she spoke. "I'm very happy with the progress we've making thus far, but there's still so much to be done. I don't want to sound too cynical but, I worry we might not be up to the challenge."

"Hey, whatever happens we'll get through it together." Keith lifted her chin up, "You don't have to face this alone, you know."

"I know. But, you have to admit, five pilots from earth and the two last remaining Alteans involved in an intergalactic war that's been growing for thousands of years and are now up against a malevolent dictator with a galaxy wide army at his beck and call… It's hard not to be at least a little bit concerned."

Keith bit his bottom lip. "Yeah, you may have a point there." he said.

Allura fiddled a bit with his black locked as she smiled. "But, you also make a very good point. I'm not alone anymore…and it's all because of you. You never gave up on me."

"Just as you never gave up on me." Keith said in a soft lovingly affectionate voice before kissing his beautiful princess once more. The kiss was sweet, innocent and full of love, it made Allura's heart go all aflutter.

"But, um, let's keep this between us." Allura said, "I don't want the other paladins getting just as worried either. I'd rather they continue to feel confident than have more of us on edge."

"Understood. It'll be our little secret." Keith said, just when once of the mice, one with red eyes, climbed on his shoulder, squeaking something into his ear which even Allura understood.

"Who else has secrets?" Allura asked. The mouse jumped from Keith's shoulder and tugged on the cheeks of the more chubby mouse. The tale he told in squeaks made Allura giggle. "Hunk tried to eat what? Ha, ha, that is rather amusing."

Even Keith couldn't help but laugh. Allura had her arm wrapped around his as the two rested near the railing, listening to the mice's little gossiping tales. Keith would normally be weirded out by the fact he knew what these mice were saying, but he had given up on what was considered "normal" a long time ago.

"You know, on earth it would be considered impolite to gossip." Keith said.

"So, we should stop then?"

Rather than reply to Allura directly, Keith turned back to the mice with a mischievous gleam in his eyes. "What else you got?"

Once of the mice ruffled his hair to resemble a certain cocky pilot while wielding his tail like a sword. Both Keith and Allura listened with unsurprised reactions.

"That sounds like Lance, alright." Allura said, noticing the amused look on her boyfriend's face.

The third secret involved the same mouse making a cute face, complete with blush while batting its eyelashes in a feminine manner. This news gained the biggest reaction from the couple.

"Pidge is a what?!"

The two looked down bellow to spot Pidge, stowing away some food into "her" backpack, while her newly reprogramed Galra drone, named Rover, hovered beside her. Allura arched an eyebrow in suspicion as the two quietly observed the shortest paladin, who was now revealed to have been a female the entire time.

"Did you know about this?" Allura asked.

Keith shook his head. "No. Though, I did have another theory, but that's down the drain now."

"I'm getting to the bottom of this." Allura said, preparing to make her way down to question the paladin, with Keith right behind her.

"How are you gonna approach this?" Keith questioned.

"Simple. I'll just casually incite a conversation and let her tell me herself."

Keith rose a brow, his eyes darting towards Pidge. He--or rather, she--didn't really seem like the type to just open up about this. If she had kept it a secret for this long, then there had to be a reason. Keith was one to understand why some people would keep certain secrets, but he highly doubted Allura's charming personality would be enough to help her this time.

"Good luck with that." he said, trying to sound supportive, but if there was anything Keith wasn't, it was a lier. And lying to Allura was a big fat "NO" in his book.

Never the less, Allura proceeded with her plan. Who knows, maybe she would get lucky and some female bonding could be what forms a new friendship between them. After all, it would be nice for Allura to have another female to connect with.

The two descended down the stairs, and Keith was nearly ambushed by Hunk. "Hey, Keith! Some Arusian kids are asking for you."

"Me?" Keith asked in surprise.

"They wanted to know how you made that sword thing appear."

Keith turned to Allura, who simply smiled. "Go ahead. You boys have fun." she said, patting Keith on the back before Hunk led him to speak with the kids, who were already cheering excitedly upon Keith's arrival. The poor red paladin was already feeling rather flustered, but was more than happy to answer the kids's questions. Speaking to children always seemed to come easier for him than it was speaking to people his own age.

Allura proceeded with her plan and approached the green paladin, trying her best to appear as presentably casual as she could. "So, Pidge, we haven't had a chance to really talk. Tell me about yourself." she smiled. So far, so good.

Pidge arched an eyebrow in suspicion, but quickly repressed the notion and confidently engaged in a conversation with the princess. "Well, I like peanut butter. And I like peanut butter cookies, but I hate peanuts. They're always so dry. Also, I sweat a lot, I mean in general. Unrelated to the peanuts."

Okay, a little more information than what Allura was expecting, but maybe she just needed to be a little bit more straightforward, but not too much so to make her feel she had been prying.

"I suppose I was thinking something a little more… personal?" Allura gave a wink, hoping Pidge would catch on. "We have a lot in common."

"Like what?"

Allura froze for a moment. Maybe she should have given this a little more thought. Thankfully, the perfect topic came to mind. A rather touchy one, but it was something none the less. After all, most people bond over similar backgrounds and experiences.

"Well, both of us had our fathers taken away by Zarkon."

"Yeah, but I'm going to get mine back."

Allura felt an immediate sting, and Pidge immediately showed visible regret for her words. "Uh, sorry, I really didn't mean--"

"No, I understand." Allura said, swallowing the urge to cry right then and there. She couldn't be mad at Pidge, not now. After all, just like Keith, she just needed to learn to get along with the others paladins more. That also meant trying to understand each other. Of course, that couldn't happen unless they were all honest with each other.

"I just want you to know that you can confined in me." Allura smiled, trying to motivate Pidge to open up once more. "If there's anything you ever want to talk about…. anything?"

"Okay, I do have something to tell you."

"I had a feeling!" Allura beamed excitedly. "What is it?"

"I'm leaving Team Voltron."

Allura opened her mouth to reply…only to catch on to exactly what Pidge had just said. Her smile immediately shifted into a frown. "Wait, what?!"

"I decrypted the information from the Galra ship about where my family might be, or at least where they were. I've made up my mind. I'm leaving tonight."

Allura could already feel the stress from before returning. Striking her hard like a tidal wave with no end in sight. She quickly grabbed Pidge by the shoulders, practically pleading for her to reconsider. "Pidge, you can't! You're one of five paladins.You have a sacred trust to defend the universe."

Pidge forcibly stepped away from the princess. "My first priority is to find my family! I thought you of all people would understand. If you had a chance to get your father back, wouldn't you?"

What kind of question was that? Of course Allura would jump at the chance! But she also remembered what her father told her before their first battle with the Galra. They must be willing to make sacrifices for the good of the universe. Still, just because they had to do it, didn't mean they wished to do so. After all, they all made a huge risk coming her to begin with. Allura had already lost her family, if she lost anyone else….

If she lost Keith…. her heart would probably never heal again.

"I'm sorry." Pidge said, "I should go tell everyone else."

Allura watched in defeat as the green paladin walked away. She both understood her, while at the same time knew this was a mistake. She didn't know which to say.

(~)

_Mail day was closing in, and it definitely didn't help Keith's mood. Even racing their mustangs across the fields didn't help lift his spirits. And the princess knew Keith loved going fast. Once they stopped, Allura once again felt her spirits drop upon seeing how disinterested Keith was. Maybe he was finally getting bored of being in the Astral Plane? She knew he wouldn't abandon her, but maybe they were running out of fun activities to do? Or, perhaps, he was stressed over trying to figure out a way to wake her up. Or, maybe it was the whole day of receiving mail from distant family members._

_She secretly called herself naive for not realizing that detail sooner._

_"Keith."_

_"Oh, I-I'm sorry, Allura." Keith made his mustang disappear underneath him in a patch of blue particles. "I'm just not feeling like ridding today."_

_Allura followed his example and made her own mustang disappear as well. "I know you're not looking forward to this "mail day", but is there a rule that says you must attend?"_

_"What do you mean?"_

_"Can't you excuse yourself? Say you came down with an illness or something and maybe ride your bike in the desert, or whatever else you do while you're awake."_

_Keith appreciated Allura's attempt at making the situation less awkward for him than it was, but he couldn't escape reality. Not even in a place like this. "I can't. For one, it's a school day, and if my teachers catch me slacking off I'll never hear the end of it."_

_As would often happen, a blanket of silent loomed over them for a short period of time before either one of them spoke. "Can I ask you something?"_

_Keith nodded. "Sure."_

_Allura bit her bottom lip before speaking. "What were your parents like?" she asked, already feeling the air between them grow tense and stiff. "You rarely speak of them."_

_Keith's muscles tensed. She wasn't lying, Keith rarely spoke of his parents. Up until now, Allura respected his decision not to speak about it, but after several months had gone by already, he oftener wrestled with the idea on wether or not he should share with her his heritage. Allura was not one to judge him, especially after she had shared so much of her own family and heritage with him, though again it was primarily due to loneliness on the princess's behalf._

_But, the reason why Keith never spoke of his family wasn't because he was afraid of what Allura would think, but because he himself felt ashamed of it._

_"With good reason." Keith said, muttering bitterly under his breath._

_"What happened?" Allura asked, almost on instinct and by natural curiosity._

_"Allura, I don't want to talk about it." Keith stated, turning his back to her. He had never behaved so coldly towards her before. But, just like Keith, Allura wasn't someone who would give in quite so easily._

_"Look, I understand if it's a touchy subject for you, and I shouldn't be the one to lecture anyone about keeping secrets. I didn't tell you about Zarkon right away, but you made it easier for me to talk about it. I thought, maybe… I could help make it easier for you too."_

_Keith's brows furrowed, feeling a mixture of guilt and bubbling frustration within him._

_"I thought…. I hoped, you would eventually trust me enough to share your family's past with me."_

_"My family is none of your business!" Keith snapped. Immediately, he regretted his action. He never yelled at Allura before. Not like this. He didn't mean it like that, he just wanted her to stop mentioning it._

_"I'm sorry." Keith said._

_Allura didn't show any signs of anger, but rather regret with a hint of impatience. "I have given you space when you asked for it. I try not to pry in places where I shouldn't, but I trusted you with my past, so I don't understand why you still won't trust me with yours."_

_Keith didn't know what to say. Allura would respect his decision, but at the same time, it didn't feel right to keep her in the dark about this. After all, they have been secretly seeing each other for this long and managed to form--from his own perspective--a pretty solid friendship. So, what was holding him back to confined in Allura about his past?_

_As it would seem, time was on his side for once when his body began to flicker again. "Sorry. I have to go." Allura didn't even get a chance to reply for he had already disappeared. Once Keith woke up he immediately slammed his face into his pillow._

_"I'm such an idiot!"_

_(~)_

"You can't leave!" Keith exclaimed, towering over Pidge.

"You can't tell me what to do!"

Pidge had already informed the rest of the paladins (save Lance) all about her plan to seek her family. Pod ready with her supplies and all. Once Keith learned of this, immediately his mind dove straight into the "you're being selfish" category. While he got that Pidge wanted to find her family, but there were more pressing matters to think about. With only four paladins, there could be no Voltron. They had already witnessed what the Galra are capable of, so how could Pidge not believe she would be doing just as much good here as well?

"If you leave we can't form Voltron, and that means we can't defend the universe from Zarkon. You're not the only one with a family. All these Arusians have families, everyone in the universe has families!"

Hunk rose his hand, "Yeah, I have a family. They live on earth, I want to be with them, is that a thing that can happen?"

"You want to leave too?" Allura asked. As if today wasn't bad enough, now another one of the paladins wanted to abandon the mission.

"Of course I do. Look, Voltron is supper cool, don't get me wrong, but I never signed up for a lifetime in space fighting aliens."

Keith's fists clenched so tightly his knuckles turned white underneath his black gloves. Did nobody in this team, aside from himself, Allura and Shiro, knew what they were fighting for? How many families have been lost to the Galra? How many lives have been lost? Even if Pidge searching for her family was a noble thing, it didn't change the fact that she would be leaving all of them out to dry to fight the bigger bad while she just jet off to find her brother and father and then what? Return to earth? And even if by any chance she did return to the team, it would probably be too late. Who knows who long she would be searching for them. Why couldn't she see the bigger picture? Why couldn't Hunk see it? Why couldn't anyone else see it?

The boiling pot finally reached its peak and Keith snapped at Pidge, literally frightening her. "You're putting the lives of two people over the lives of everyone else in the entire galaxy!"

"Keith!" Shiro pulled the young man away by the arm. "That's not how a team works. People have to want to be a part of it, they can't be forced."

Allura too placed her hand on Keith's arm, far more gently than Shiro, in an effort to calm him down. Keith knew his anger had gotten the better of him, yet again. Shiro approached the youngest paladin. "If you what to leave we won't try to stop you, but please just think about what you're doing."

"I'm sorry. You're going to have to find someone else to pilot the green lion."

Pidge walked away from the group, leaving them without an extra paladin. No more than three days and the team was already falling apart….that and bits of the castle ceiling.

An explosion was heard in the main control room, causing the entire palace to shake. The Arusians all ran out in terror as the palace lights shut off in a single flash. Everything stopped working. The princess and the paladins quickly hurried to the control room, which was covered in smoke too thick to see through. The team coughed until they found Coran sitting upright, but looking delirious from the impact. Once the smoke cleared, the crystal that powered the ship had been shattered, and an unconscious Lance laid closed to the sight from where the blast came from, indicating he took most of the blow in an effort to save Coran.

Shiro rushed to his fellow paladin's side, but he wouldn't wake up. He was breathing, but was bruised terribly and was breathing rather slowly. The blast must have done some serious internal damage. Without the crystal powerful the castle, there was no way Lance could be healed in time. The Arusian king arrived informing them that the village was under attack.

"Let's get to the lions!" Keith said.

"We can't." said Allura. "They're sealed in their hangers. There's no way to get them out. We're defenseless."

"Will you not help us?" Asked the Arusian king.

"We'll help you, we just--" Keith was cut short when Lance groaned, still barely moving or responding. The Arusian village was under attack, one of their own was down, the castle wasn't working and now they had no lions. This was not looking good.

The only way to get the castle working once more was to retrieve a new crystal from a Balmara. Pidge suggested they take the pod she was going to use, and Hunk tagged along to help Coran to retrieve the crystal. Keith and Allura agreed to head back to the Arusian village while Shiro tended to Lance and the castle.

After quickly changing into her battle suit, Allura and Keith arrived at the edge of the village to see it burning to the ground, and several Galra droids were spotted from down bellow.

"I'll go in for a closer look." Keith said before making his way down to the burning village. "Stay here with them."

"Keith!" Allura cried out, her hand rising to try and reach him, but he was already done. After that mental discussion with herself about possibly loosing him, her nerves had gotten the best of her.

Keith managed to land unharmed, but not much to their rotten luck, it turns out the Galra were nothing more than uncorking robots. Keith immediately contacted Allura via his helmet communicator. "They tricked us!" he called out. It was all a diversion to separate the team and take advantage of the castle's defenseless state.

"We have to get back! The others are still in there!" Allura replied back through her earrings. Keith complied and, using his jet pack, rose back to the princess. The two raced back to the castle as quickly as they could but it was too late. The Galra had already infiltrated the castle of lions, the lights had switched back on, but rather than their typical neon blue, they were a sickly neon purple color, matching the particle barrier that blocked Keith and Allura from entering.

Keith pulled out his bayard sword. "Can we break through the barrier?"

"No. And whoever's taken the castle has a crystal, which means they'll be able to fly the ship. We have to stop them."

"How are we gonna do that?"

"_Keith…can you hear me?_" a voice came through from Keith's helmet, and Allura's earrings.

"Pidge, is that you? Where are you?"

"_I'm inside the castle. Sendak has taken over and he's preparing for launch. He's got Lance and Shiro._"

Allura spoke to the paladins through her earrings. "Pidge, listen, if they started the launch sequence then we don't have much time for lift off to stop it."

"_What do I have to do?_"

"You have to get down to the main control panel and disconnect the primary turbine form the central energy chamber. If you can do that, Sendak will have to reset the whole system. That might give us enough time to find a way to stop him."

"_You got it. I'm on my way._"

"Be careful." Allura said, right before the disconnection went silent. She clenched her hands together, as if praying, and felt Keith's comforting arm around her.

"It'll be alright. Pidge won't let us down."

"I don't doubt that. I hope Hunk and Coran can return in time with the crystal, and that Lance and Shiro are alright."

"If anything, Sendak will probably hold them ransom for Zarkon." Keith pulled Allura a little closer, his voice softening. "But he won't get the chance to. We're not giving up without a fight."

Allura sighed, trying to put on a brave face. "You're right. Right now is not to time to feel regret." her earrings started to blink again, and Pidge's voice was heard.

"_Okay Allura, I'm near the turbine. I think it's starting._"

"Then you'll have to hurry. Cross the catwalk to the main column in the center."

"_Okay._"

"Now open the hatch, find the central computer controller and enter the following sequence."

"_Wait, wait, wait, which one is it? All the labels are in Altean!"_

"Calm down, just--Pidge?" Allura tried to contact with the green paladin, only to receive nothing but static. "Pidge? Pidge! I've lot connection with Pidge!" Allura exclaimed, just as the castle began to shake, indicating it was getting ready for takeoff.

Instinctively, Keith grasped Allura's hand as they watched helplessly. Suddenly, the castle became stable once again. The lights and particle barrier were still active, but thankfully the palace was still in tact.

"She did it!" Keith said happily, and with great relief. Allura took in a deep breath. At least that was one good thing to happen today.

"Thank goodness. Now we just have to find a way to stop Sendak."

(~)

_Mail day had finally arrived. Keith had just left his current classroom, being the last one to leave after everyone literally made a stamped exit towards the door. Just his luck, his next class would be in the same direction as to where the mail room was, and there was no other shortcut for him to take._

_Garrison cadets shoved and pushed one another in a desperate attempt to get to their mail first. There was no line, so instead the delivery guy just listed the names from the mail from which he had in his possession. Keith was almost thrown against the wall when two guys, one thiner and one a bit larger, made a sharp curve towards the large chaotic group of students. It was like this every month, Keith just couldn't comprehend why the students were always so anxious to get mail from their families, and not everybody was called out anyway._

_Then again, maybe if he had a family himself he would understand better._

_Keith tried to ignore the excited cries from the students once their names were called out. Packages being and letters being torn free of their envelop rang loud in his ears as he walked further and further away, followed by the excited sounds of whatever it was the students received._

_Keith arrived at his next class, only to hear from one of the students that the professor was out for the day, so this period was free. With nothing better to do until the next class, Keith sat in the Garrison Lunch room, just sipping away at a coke he got from the vending machine, scribbling some doodles on his notebook. They were mainly Altean letters that he engraved into memory during the times where Allura would demonstrate to him her native language. He couldn't stop thinking about what he said to her. He never should have snapped. Allura did nothing to offend him, or anything to hurt him… as long as he didn't count the first time they met. Still, she was right. At this point, he should trust her enough to share his past._

_It then dawned on him that, it wasn't the fear of Allura not understanding or treating him differently, but rather mane it was Keith himself who wasn't looking forward to talking about it. For so long, he found that so long as he didn't speak about his family in too much detail then he wouldn't have to feel the stinging pain that he didn't have his parents anymore, or the many questions he still carried._

_From his backpack, Keith pulled out the blade he often carried around with him. Gazing at his reflection on the surface, he could hear his father's voice, even his mother's giggle. Even now, he felt as if tears were literally screaming to come out. He always prided himself to be a strong and streetwise, but speaking of his past was his Achilles heel._

_"Funny finding you here."_

_Keith quickly put his knife away the moment he heard Shiro's voice. Thankfully, Keith was looking at the knife from under the table so nobody suspected anything._

_"Uh, yeah. I've got free period, so I'm just chilling here until my next class starts."_

_"Good thing I ran into you." Shiro said, surprising Keith with a tray of the sweetest smelling cinnamon, chocolate chip muffins he had ever smelled. "My grandma had these delivered to me. Though you might like one. Or two. I honestly can't eat all of these, trying to watch my figure."_

_Keith laughed at the joke and gladly took one of the muffins, taking a rather large bite of it. "My compliments to your grandma."_

_Shiro took a muffing himself, but didn't bite into it just yet as he took a seat, opposite Keith. He took notice of the doodles on Keith's notebook. "What's that?"_

_Keith's eyes widened in shock, nearly chocking on the muffin he was chewing and quickly slammed his hand over the drawings before Shiro could ask anymore question. He swallowed before replying. "Uh, they're, just some random symbols. I got bored."_

_Shiro, being the firm man that he was, gently removed Keith's hand from the notebook and took it for himself, ignoring Keith's protests. "These are pretty good." he said, stroking his chin. "Is this what you've been doing all this time?"_

_"Uh, well, I--" Keith didn't know what to reply next. If he were being honest, he would say that all of this secrecy from Shiro was already growing tiresome. It was as if another extra weight had been added to his baggage._

_Right on top of the baggage he carried when it came to his family._

_"It's complicated." Keith replied, tired of trying to hide this._

_"Maybe now you're ready to tell me exactly what's going on? I've been patient with you for this long, Keith. But I know you're not telling me everything."_

_This scenario felt no different than from when Keith had last spoken with Allura. These two people were the only ones he genuinely considered…. well, true friends. The fear of being abandoned and alone was what kept him from being able to fully trust them both. Maybe it was time to change that._

_"I'm sorry, Shiro. You're right, I haven't been telling you everything. I was just worried about what you might think of me after I told you."_

_Shiro game the young man a reassuring smile. "Keith, there is nothing you can say that'll change anything. I'll always be there to help you when you need it. We're best friends."_

_Keith could already feel that weight being lifted already. "Yeah." he took in a deep breath. "Okay, the truth is…I've…. been…. seeing someone."_

_Shiro's eyes widened in surprise. "Whoa. Seriously? That's what you've been hiding?"_

_Keith could already feel his face turning red. "Actually, it's not so much what you think." he fiddled with the edge of his sleeve, trying to think of something to explain his nightly visits to Allura. But, should he tell him the entire story?_

_"We met… online." Keith finally said._

_"Online?"_

_"Y-Yeah. I was checking out this game and that's when we met. We started talking, video chatting and, we get along great."_

_Shiro couldn't resist laughing happily. "Keith, that's great! I'm happy for you. So who is it?"_

_Keith froze before reply. "H-Her name's Allura._

_Shiro blinked, his smile shifting into an open mouth of surprise. "Wait. It's a girl?" he said, the smile that was once there slowly returning._

_"Yeah. She is."_

_"Does she study at the Garrison?"_

_"No, she lives far away. In… England."_

_"Oh, British girl, huh?"_

_"Uh hu." Keith nodded._

_"How long have you guys been talking?"_

_"Starting today, it's been six months."_

_"Whoa. Keith I, I honestly don't know what to say."_

_"I know it's not exactly what you meant by meeting new people, but--"_

_"Who cares, this is great! I'm happy for you."_

_Keith breathed a sigh of relief. Even if not every single detail was the truth, at the very least Shiro knew who Allura was. And she did have an accent that sounded very British, and they have been chatting in a way that connected them despite their physical distance, not more of a half truth really._

_"So, what is she like?"_

_"Actually, she's kind of, well, different from most girls. But, in a good way." Keith explained, his smile, which had become somewhat popular among the Garrison for being so out of character for him, was slowly forming across his face the more he spoke about Allura._

_"She sees things in a totally different way than anyone I've ever met. She's surprisingly easy to talk to, and we actually have more in common than I thought. She loves the outdoors, knows her way around a sword, she's incredibly smart and independent, and she's the first person to even find my sarcastic remarks funny, though I honestly don't get why." Kieth chuckled, with a little sparkle in his eye, which Shiro took notice of. "Spending time with her, kind of reminds me what it feels to be a kid again."_

_Shiro could only smile. He couldn't describe how giddy he was feeling upon hearing all of this. "Wow. To think, all this time you've been so secretive over a pretty girl."_

_"I-I never she was pretty!" Keith stuttered._

_"You didn't have to. It's written all over your face." Shiro said with a grin, which only made Keith feel all the more embarrassed. Now he remembered another reason he was hesitant to tell Shiro._

_The bell of the day sounded again and Keith quickly packed his notebook into his bag. "I gotta run." he said before grabbing two extra muffins to go._

_"Hey, Keith." Shiro called out, making Keith stop in his tracks. "I know I can never replace the family you lost, but I want you to know that no matter what you can always count on me on anything."_

_"I know, Shiro. Thanks."_

_"And, maybe you can count on Allura, too?" Shiro said. "You can have more than one friend, you know. Just as you can have more than one kind of family."_

_Keith kept his words in hid mind, nodding in gratitude before getting to his next class._

(~)

With the two of them still outside, Allura had to guide Pidge through the communicator. So far, everything was going smoothly, only for Pidge to get attacked by the Galra droids. Allura telepathically contacted the mice who scurried their way into the castle vents to help Pidge. The green paladin managed to hold her own and outsmart the droids, and the mice helped by outsmarting one of the Galra droids, causing it to fall and explode. With Allura's guidance, the mice deactivated the particle barrier, allowing the two lovers to rush inside.

The arrived just in time to see Sendak holding Pidge hostage. Keith pulled out his bayard sword ready to attack, but Sendak released Pidge when Lance, able to regain consciousness at the right moment, blasted the Galra commander with his riffle gnu before passing out again. Seeing his chance, Keith fought the Galra, accompanied by Pidge, while Allura hurried to the controls. Keith swung his word, which Sendak grabbed with his palm, struggling to push the paladin back.

"Keith, now!" Allura called out. Seeing the circle around Sendak, Keith acted fast and kicked the Galra back just as the barrier formed, trapping him inside along with his Galra crystal. The princess breathed a sigh of relief, not only did they have the castle back, but Shiro, Lance and Pidge were alright.

Pidge freed Shiro while Keith assisted Lance. As annoying as he could he, Lance was still a member of this team none the less. He gripped his hand, trying to help him stand back up, but could tell he was already too week to even move on his own.

"Lance, are you okay?" he asked with genuine concern.

"We did it." he said weakly, but smiling in gratitude. "We are a good team."

Keith smiled in agreement. The idea of being part of a team--a family--was growing on him more and more by the minute. Allura rushed on over, and the two managed to balance the poor boy by slinging both his arms on their shoulders.They placed him inside one of the cryopods for healing, and the castle was back in order once more. No more Galra colors or purple lights to be seen. Sendak was imprisoned, and Lance was well on his way to recovery.

"After a day in here, he should be fully healed." Allura said, with Keith's arm around her waist.

One of the mice jumped on Keith's shoulder, nuzzling his cheek with her tiny wet nose. "It's true what they say. Great things do come in small packages." he said, rubbing the mouse's furry head.

"Pidge, we can't thank you enough for all you did." Shiro said. "I can't help but feel that, you were meant to be a part of our team." the look of regret and disappointment was evident in the black paladin's eyes, as well as for the green paladin herself. "But I understand if you want to leave."

Pidge then smiled. "Dad used to tell me how close he was with his crew members. They were like family. Now I understand what he was talking about. I'm staying with you guys. Let's stop Zarkon for all of our families."

Both Keith and Allura shared a knowing look, followed by matching smiles. It would appear Keith was not the only one who needed to learn to be a better team member. These paladins all may come from different backgrounds, but at the core, they really aren't so different after all. If Keith would give them more of a chance like he did with Allura, maybe he could finally feel like he's a part of something greater for the first time in his life.

"Good to have you back on the team." he said, earning a smile from Pidge. His words really did seem to mean something to her by the way she looked so happy to be included into the group.

(~)

_"Allura! Allura!" Keith called out, searching for the princess in the juniperberry fields. He spotted her sitting near a lake. "Allura!" upon the third cry, she looked up in his direction._

_"Keith? You came back."_

_"Of course I came back." he said once he had arrived. "I want to apologize for what I said yesterday."_

_Allura hugged her legs, the ends of her dress merging with the white sand of the shoreline. "It's okay. I shouldn't have pushed you."_

_"No, it's okay." Keith said as he took a spot beside her. "The thing is, it's not that I was afraid you wouldn't understand but… it's that actually talking about my past has always been hard. I kind of, break down and, I don't like people seeing me like that. I don't need people feeling sorry for me."_

_Allura reached out to touch his hand. "Keith, it's not that I pity you. I want to help you in any way I can the same way you want to help me. I care about you."_

_It wasn't every day that Keith heard those words. Sure, he heard them from Shiro, but when Allura said them there was something… extra in there. Something new, something Keith had only ever heard of but rarely, if not ever, had experienced before._

_"I care about you too." Keith held Allura's hand tightly. "I care about you in a way I… I never imagined I could care for anyone."_

_Allura was almost at a loss for words. Keith had spoken kindly to her many times before, but this time, there was something…different in his words. Just as there was something different in his eyes. They were not only soft and warm as they always were, but there was also a certain sparkle to them, which was new to see. Keith witnessed the same sparkle in her eyes as well._

_The scenery shifted back to the desert, where Keith's shack was. Allura tilted her head in confusion. "Why are we here again?"_

_Keith stood up, taking Allura's hands into his and helped her back to her feet. "There's a few things you should know about this place… if you're still curious about my past."_

_"You sure?"_

_Keith surprised Allura by tucking a stray strand of silver hair behind her hear. The warm touch of his hand against her skin made her heart leap and body tremble._

_"I trust you." he said before leading her back inside the shack, ready to reveal to her more about the long history behind it._

(~)

Allura heard the door behind her open. She spun around to see Keith standing there, no longer in his paladin armor, but in his normal every day clothing.

"Hey." he greeted casually with a smile.

"Hey." Allura greeted back, also smiling.

"So, the castle doing alright?"

"Yes. Thanks to the crystal Coran and Hunk brought, we should be ready for launch. Once Lance has recuperated, of course." Allura stepped down from where she stood, greeting Keith by wrapping her arms around his neck. "See? I told you everything would be alright?"

"Excuse me? I think you've got it backwards. I was the one who told you that."

Allura pondered for a moment. "Mmm, no, I'm pretty sure I was the one who said it."

"Oh, come on, you're such a lie--" Keith was cut short when Allura passionately kissed him. Just like that, he forgot whatever it was he was about to say. Once they parted, Allura giggled, pressing her forehead against Keith's.

"Yes, you were right." she said. "At the end of the day, we all just need to trust each. That's what makes a team work."

"Yeah. I'm sorry I blew up before."

"It's okay. That's one of the many things I love about you. You're short tempered, but your heart is always in the right place."

"I could say the same thing about you." Keith said before leaning in to catch her lips with his own once again. "I will always trust you."

"And I you."


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Keith might not be the most sociable of paladins, but he definitely knows a thing or two about maters of the heart. Something Lance could learn from.

_Seventh months._

_Seven months have gone by since Keith met Allura. He still worked as best he could to figure out some way to find her, reach her and somehow wake her up from her cryogenic slumber. While Allura still continued to search her repressed memories, but after many days of searching, eventually she just admitted there was nothing from her past from which she could remember that would be of any use to them._

_Despite this, the two were still hoping and trying to find a way to reach each other. Keith still looked up information on what he did know about aliens and Astral Planes and physic connections. He tried looking up information about robotic lions, to which he either came across some new age site with a bunch of painfully obvious placebo tips, science fiction stuff which even Allura would laugh her head at, and the only thing he found about robot lions was a website selling a mint condition toy collection from the eighties._

_Keith still went to the desert as often as he could, still hearing that humming sound from before. Sadly, he couldn't venture off too far or else he would once again get into trouble with his superiors. In the past seven months, while Keith's grades had improved, he was still lacking in being able to communicate with the rest of his fellow cadets. Even more troublesome, whenever someone commented negatively about Keith's now sudden interest in anything extraterrestrial, having spotted the books he checked out from the library, Keith would lose it. It started off as just with sarcastic remarks, but then they would bad mouth his so called "hobbies"._

_Things got worse when one day a student said something that really broke the camels back._

_"Probably got this new obsession from his foreign girlfriend."_

_The boy never had a chance to blink afterwards. Keith had already grabbed him by the collar and slammed him against the wall. He gripped the collar, lifting the boy high, while the other students either ran out in terror or chanted 'fight, fight, fight!'._

_Shiro managed to cool down the fire by dragging Keith away, and telling the other cadet to watch his mouth next time before taking Keith to Shiro's own quarters._

_"You told them?"_

_"What?"_

_"About Allura! How did they know?!"_

_"I didn't say anything." Shiro said. Unlike Keith, who was raising his voice, Shiro kept himself calm and composed. "Somebody must have eavesdropped on our conversation. I swear Keith, I didn't tell anybody."_

_Keith ran his hands through his hair and sat dejectedly in Shiro's desk chair. "I'm sorry. I should have known you wouldn't spill my secret."_

_"Keith, buddy, think maybe this is getting a bit out of hand?" Shiro said. Keith lifted up his head in alarm. "I'm not saying you should stop talking to Allura, but maybe you should just come clean."_

_"You mean tell everybody about her?"_

_"No, not that. I mean maybe you should be telling her the truth."_

_Keith blinked in confusion. "What do you mean?"_

_Shiro only chuckled and leaned against the wall, arms crossed. "Typical. Give a guy a motor bike, he masters it in a week. But, when it comes to girls, he haven't got a clue." seeing Keith's confusion, Shiro decided to just be blunt. "Just tell Allura how you really feel."_

_Keith literally bolded out of the chair in alarm. "What?! I mean—how—when did you get that idea?"_

_"Keith, you've been talking to this girl every day for seven months. When you're not blowing a fuse you're smiling to yourself. While your grades are somewhat improving it's still pretty clear you're more distracted than normal. Not to mention, you keep coming to class late from what I hear. And every time you talk about Allura you get all excited and flustered."_

_The younger cadet could only bite his bottom lip while tugging at the collar of his shirt. Every word Shiro said was the absolute truth, which only made Keith feel even more self cautious than he ever imagined. His heart was racing fast and he had a hunch Shiro caught glimpse of the droplets of sweat trailing down from his brow._

_"It's okay." Shiro said after approaching Keith and placing a hand on his shoulder, slightly shaking him. "It's nothing to be ashamed of. Believe me, the first time I tried to talk to my first crush, I tripped and fell flat on my face…. literally… and down the stairs."_

_Keith looked away sadly._

_"I'm not saying that'll happen to you. Mostly because you guys video chat so there is very little chance of you tripping."_

_If only Shiro knew. "No, it's not that." Keith said, "I… I don't think it's such a good idea."_

_Shiro gave a saddened expression. "Oh. Does she have a boyfriend?"_

_"No, she doesn't."_

_"You're worried she won't feel the same way?"_

_"Well, maybe. I mean, I sometimes thought she might, possibly like me, but I don't--and, she also lives far away, and I hear long distance relationships never work out."_

_"Who says she can't come and visit?"_

_"That's… not gonna be possible." Keith said with remorse. "Her dad is very…. strict. I doubt she'll be visiting anytime soon."_

_Shiro scratched the back of his neck, feeling sorry for his friend. "Well, you should still tell her none the less."_

_"Shiro, have you not been listening to a word I said?"_

_"I have. But, I also know that, from personal experience, even if things don't turn out the way you hopped, at least it's better than spending the rest of your life regretting it."_

_"Did it work out with your crush?"_

_"Yes and no. But believe me, falling down the stairs actually worked out in my favor. I sprained my ankle and she spent the last hour making sure I was okay." Shiro smiled with pride, but that smile quickly wavered. "But, she already had a date to the dance with a guy she already had a crush on, so kind of a bittersweet ending. Still, even if she said no, I can at least say I took a chance."_

_Keith understood his friend's words and what he was trying to teach him. Still, piloting a simulator was easy, but telling a girl how he felt… never had anything terrified him more. Still, if Keith prided himself of anything, it was that he never backed down from a challenge._

_Even if the challenge was looking straight into Allura's beautiful blue eyes without getting week in the knees._

(~)

The following day, Lance was still recuperating in the cryopod. So far, there had been to reaction from him. The rest of the paladins and Allura observed closely, with Pidge pressing her nose close to the surface, trying to see if the boy was still inhaling oxygen.

"I can't tell if he looks healthy or not." said Hunk.

"I think he's breathing weird." Pidge said.

"Oh, come on!" Keith, already growing impatient with the constant waiting, thought it best to just open the darn thing already to see for themselves on wether or not Lance was okay. Also, he was genuinely concerned for Lance’s well being like everyone else. Keith was just the one with the most limited patience.

Allura shoved his hand away, "Not yet! A few more ticks."

"How much better do you think he's gonna get in a few more ticks?"

"It's my technology, I think I know darn well how it works!"

"Okay, valid point." Keith said, feeling flustered for even questioning Allura's knowledge about her own people's technology.

"What exactly is a tick?" Pidge asked.

"You know, a time slice." Allura replied.

"You mean like a second?" Shiro asked.

"Something like that." Allura said. "Though, I have never seen a "second", so I can't say for certain."

"Oh, they're like this." Pidge pulled out a timer from her pocket and Allura rose a brow.

"Mmm. I think ticks are bigger. Coran, do you have a ticker?"

"Right here, Princess." Coran pulled out a device that vaguely resembled the timer Pidge had handy. Unlike the timer, it took at least a while before it beeped again.

"I think ticks are a little slower." said Hunk, with everyone else now drawing their attention to the topic of ticks and seconds.

Pidge looked up from her timer to the ticker in Coran's hand. "I can't tell. We have to start them at the same time."

"Okay." Coran said, "Ready, go!" everyone hunched over to see the speed between the two devices, with Shiro, surprisingly trying to get a better view with everyone else being front and center.

"Yes! I think we're winning!" Hunk said.

"Winning what? The intergalactic time-measuring competition?" Keith said with irritated sarcasm.

"Yes."

"You guys having a clock party?"

"Aw, Lance, you just ruined it." Hunk turned around to see the blue paladin up and about. Everyone had been so preoccupied with the ticks and seconds debate that they never noticed him leave the cryopod and dragged himself towards the group. Once the reality hit him, Hunk welcomed his friend in a tight bare hug.

"Hey, Lance! You're okay!"

Lance, while not denying the affectionate gesture, he still felt week and tired. Physically, he looked better than he did before, with no scars or visible cruises. He was still tired, given his sluggish posture, but he was alive and healthy looking regardless.

"What happened?" Lance asked weakly, leaning against Hunk for support.

"We can tell you all about it while you get something to eat." Allura said, placing a hand on the back of his shoulder. "Are you able to walk?" she asked with genuine concern.

"Talking? Eating?" Lance managed to give her his signature cocky grin. "Are you asking me out on a date?"

Allura let out a frustrated growl and turned away in annoyance, crossing her arms. A gesture Keith subconsciously mimicked.

"I'm right here." Keith said with an evident grunt. He was starting to wish Lance had stayed unconscious in the cryopod.

"Sorry Keith, you're not really my type." Lance said, no doubt trying to push the red paladin's buttons. And Allura's.

After getting dressed in his normal cloths, the rest of the team filled Lance in as he ate the green alien food. He didn't care how it tasted, he was just hungry.

"Wow. Thanks, everybody. Sounds like the mice did more than you, though." Lance said to Keith as he shared some of his food with the said mice.

"I punched Sendak!" Keith stated defensively. It was already annoying that Lance continued to flirt with Keith’s girlfriend, now he was—once again—trying to get on his bad side. Yep, Lance was definitely back to full health. Which could be considered both a blessing and a curse. To think, Keith was actually concerned about him, and was now starting to consider him a friend.

"Yeah, apparently after I emerged from a coma and shot his arm off."

"We had a bonding moment. I cradled you in my arms."

"Nope. Don't remember, didn't happen." Lance leaned back against his chair, folding his arms while proudly denying Keith’s statement. Lance then asked what they did with Sendak, to which they replied that he was frozen on another cryopod, in hopes of getting some information on Zarkon.

"So what's the plan now?" Lance asked.

"We have to get back to the Balmara and save Shay and her people." Hunk said. While Keith and Allura were trapped outside the castle during it lockdown, and Pidge was inside trying to disable the launch, Hunk and Coran managed to retrieve the Balmara crystal from a living planet-creature of the same name and met a race of aliens, one of which Hunk had befriended and was now determined to save.

"Wow! You are really hung up on this lady." Lance said, "And I thought Keith was the Casanova."

Keith clenched his fists in annoyance, trying to fight the urge to strangle Lance right then and there. Allura held Keith back by tugging on his jacket and shook her head to him. It wasn’t worth it.

"No, it's not like that." Hunk said. "Guys, when you see how Zarkon has treated these people and destroyed their home, they've been under his thumb for so long, they don't even know what it's like to be free. It's up to us to set this right. This is what being a paladin of Voltron is all about. It's time to man up."

Keith was really impressed by Hunk's change of character. Wether he had something for this Shay girl or not, he felt a surprising sense of pride upon hearing how determined Hunk was to set things right.

"Then let's get moving." Shiro said, rallying everyone to go. "Time to defend the universe."

"Wait." Pidge voiced out, getting everyone's attention. "I have something to say first. I need to come clean, and I'm afraid this may change the way you all think about me."

Both Keith and Allura shared the same knowing look, waiting patiently for Pidge to confess. Could she really be talking about what they thought she was talking about.

"Just so there are no secrets between us anymore, I can't "man up"…. I'm a girl. I mean, I can "man up" because that's just a figure of speech. I don't actually have to be a man to "man up", I just have to be tough. But, what I'm saying—"

"What?! You're a girl?! How?!" Lance shouted in shock. Allura had to stiffer a laugh at his comically over the top reaction.

"It's not funny!" Pidge said in defense.

"I'm not laughing because of that." Allura said, "To tell you the truth, Keith and I have known for a little while now."

"Yeah." Keith said. "But, we're glad you decided to tell us."

Hunk shrugged his shoulders. "Yeah, I kind of figured."

"Wait, we were supposed to think you were a boy?" Coran asked in surprise.

Shiro only smiled in reassurance. "Pidge, owning who you are is going to make you a better paladin."

Pidge exhaled a sigh off relief. "It's good to get that off my chest. Now, let's launch this castle ship!"

Lance shook his head, still looking dumbfounded. "Wait, what?! Pidge is a girl and the castle is a ship? How long have I been out?"

Once everyone was set to go, sitting in their respited seats, the castle took off for the first time in a thousand years, while the Arusians watched in awe and waved farewell to their new friends, but were confident they would be the ones to protect and defend the universe. While Shiro had become accustomed to space already, the wonder of the galaxy never ceased to amaze the younger paladins.

The hundreds of twinkling stars in the vast void that was space was both intimidating and enchanting all at the same time. It was thrilling, while also a bit frightening for one could never tell what would appear before them. Never the less, the adventure of it all was still jarring, even now.

Once all had settled, the castle was well on its way to the Balmara, until they received a distress beacon from a nearby moon. Hunk was hesitant to go and inspect it, given he was more preoccupied with helping Shay, until Allura reminded him that as paladins they must assist everyone in need. Outnumbered, and outvoted, Hunk complied and the ship made its first landing on the moon before a small ship. Well, small in comparison to the castle anyway.

The paladins exited to greet two alien lifeforms. One was a slim looking purple alien humanoid, but clearly not Galra since he lacked a lot of their cat/bear-like attributes. And a female yellow skinned, almost reptilian alien female accompanied by a small robot. The male alien was named Rolo, the robot was named Beezer, while the female was called Nyma. Pidge was immediately beguiled by the robot's design, while Lance was more impressed with Nyma herself.

As was expected, Lance wasted no time in flirting with the alien woman right on the spot, much to the annoyance of everyone else.

Rolo explained their ship's situation, their ship was damaged during a Galra attack and had been sheltered on the moon for a week. Allura was more than happy to offer them assistance, and encouragement to know that the Paladins of Voltron were present. But, given it's been ten thousand years (as Keith bluntly stated), it shouldn't have been so surprising that they hadn't heard of Voltron at all. Never the less, Rolo was just happy to have friendly people to help him and his crew with their dilemma.

Hunk, on the other hand, was not too keen on letting the aliens inside the castle to help cary the things they might need to fix their ship, not wanting a repeat of what happened on Arus when they let their defenses down. Rolo, however, was surprisingly an understanding fellow and simply handed Hunk the list of things he needed. 

Rolo and Beezer set up a fire for everyone while they waited for Hunk, and Lance too the opportunity to speak with Nyma. Keith only rolled his eyes upon hearing another one of Lance's lame pick up lines. Even more astonishing that Nyma found it funny.

"Is that really how earth men flirt?" Allura asked, also questioning the alien woman's taste.

"Not all of em. Only the ones who are desperate." Keith replied. His cheeks turned red when Allura gave him a surprise kiss on the cheek.

"Well, to each their own I suppose. Besides, you've always be the better flirt." she said with a wink.

"Since when did I ever flirt?"

Allura giggled, "You're so cute when you're clueless." she said, playfully messing up his hair and Keith wrapped his arm around her shoulder.

Nyma took notice of the two and smiled. She found their gestures adorable, while Lance once again felt that horrid sting of envy again. As always, Keith seemed to be naturally good at everything Lance wanted to be. First with piloting, and now with girls.

Well, Keith wasn't the only one who could score the extraterrestrial types.

Rolo engaged in a conversation with Shiro, Allura and Keith. He explained how he and his friends barely escaped with their lives, but still wounded up receiving a prosthetic leg. Shiro empathized with him on that. Even Keith and Allura, who sat together on the same metallic box from their small ship, empathized with this as well. He and his crew were fighting to survive and struggling every day. It would seem hardly anyone was safe from the Galtra's wrath.

"So, what can you tell us about Zarkon's forces?" Allura asked Rolo. "Where are they concentrated?"

"Well, his Command Ship sits right in the center of the Empire. he mostly calls the shots from there and has his minions do the work, depending on who's closest. This is the territory of a real nasty bugger named Sendak."

"Oh, we've met." Keith said.

"How far as we from the center?" Shiro asked.

"We're way out on the fringes."

Hunk approached the group, forcing his way into the conversation. "Hey, sorry to interrupt, but I think you guys are kind of keeping Rolo from working. We're kind of in a hurry. A hero named Shay saved my life, and I swore I would return to do the same for her and her people. You understand."

"Sure." Rolo got up from where he sat and patted Hunk's shoulder as a sign of apology. "Sorry."

Rolo proceeded to look at the supplies Hunk found for him, while Shiro had a conversation with Hunk in regards to what Rolo knew about Zarkon.

"I don't think I have ever seen Hunk act like this." Allura said, taking notice of the hostile way the normally kind-hearted yellow paladin was behaving towards these people in need. Granted, they certainly didn't seem like the most appealing bunch in terms of presentability, but she couldn't blame them given the circumstances.

"He's just really worried about Shay." Keith said, and a knowing smile formed across his lips. "Can't really say I blame him."

Allura smiled in return. "Still, Shiro does have a point. Rolo could posses valuable information that could be crucial for our mission. As much as I wish we could hurry and save Shay and her people, this could benefit us all."

"I agree." Keith said. The two got up from where they sat to speak with Rolo once again, while Lance continued his conversation with Nyma.

So far, the conversation was going rather well. Nyma laughed at his jokes and smiled whenever he said something 'charming'. She was sweet, pretty, and liked him, so maybe this was finally his chance for an intergalactic romance. "I mean, there are only five of us in the entire universe, so I guess you could say it's kind of a big deal."

"I don't understand. The lions are ships?" Nyma asked. "Are they, like, flying statues that you ride on?"

"No, no, no. They're magic, but also super scientific advanced. And they fly crazy fast and have all these incredible weapons. Really, the entire castle is just insane! I wish you could see it."

"Yeah, its' too bad we're not allowed inside. I would love a tour from one of the knights. But I guess the big one is in charge right, huh? You have to obey his orders?"

"Who, Hunk? Pfft, I don't have to listen to him." Lance said as he took Nyma by the hand and led her towards the castle. Keith overheard her laughter and saw the two sneaking inside.

"I'll be right back." he whispered to Allura before proceeding towards the blue paladin and the alien girl. Lance allowed Nyma entrance first, only to get pulled away from Keith, who covered Lance's mouth so he wouldn't scream out in surprise. "What do you think you're doing?"

Lance groaned in frustration and removed Keith's hand from his mouth. "What? I'm just showing Nyma around."

"We agreed, we wouldn't let anyone inside the castle."

"It's just one little tour. Besides, these guys are fighting the Galra just like us. Shouldn't we trust them?"

"We can't take any chances."

"Oh, oh, I see how it is." Lance said as he began poking Keith in the chest plate. "You think you're the only paladin who can score a hot alien babe around here, is that it?"

"What? No, that's got not--"

"Ah, I don't want to hear it. You may be the hot shot pilot, and the princess's boyfriend, but you're not the boss of me. You can'y tell me who I can or can't date."

Keith only growled in frustration and took a few steps back, narrowing his eyes at Lance in disapproval. "You know what, fine. Do whatever you want, I don't care." with that, Keith left in a huff, trying to shake away the disgusting words that came out of Lance's mouth. To think, he actually was considering him to be a possible friend, but how could Keith ever be friends with someone so egotistical and selfish?

Lance, of course, only shook Keith's words off and returned his attention back to Nyma. Lance proceeded to show Nyma the rest of the castle. As expected, she was very impressed by the spectacle of it all. Lance even took Nyma for a look inside his lion.

"Pretty slick, right?"

"Unbelievable! Take me on a ride around the moon?" she asked hopefully, her face was so close to Lance's his face turned red in an instant. As fun as it sounded, it probably wasn't wise to do so.

"Uh, we should probably get back to the others."

"Yeah, you're right." Nyma said sadly. "I wonder if Keith takes Allura out on his lion." she said out loud. "Must be to romantic."

And that was enough to motivate Lance to forget the rules and just go with it.

"Whoa, whoa, hold on a second! I mean what's the point of having the Lion if you can't enjoy it, right? Giddy-up, buddy!"

As quickly as he could, Lance activated his lion and the two flew out of the castle, much to Hunk's dismay. Keith watched from down bellow and shook his head. He was still angry with Lance, but at the same time, he couldn't help but feel bad for the guy. He couldn't help but feel this was not going to end well.

(~)

_"So, let me get this straight. The prince traveled all across his kingdom to find this mystery girl at the ball by fitting a crystal shoe on each woman's foot? Why? Was he short of vision? How would he not be able to tell if it was her? By trying the slipper on every woman in the land, how in the quiznack did he not get the wrong girl? Surely Cinderella couldn't have been the only woman with a size four and a half, right?"_

_Allura and Keith were sitting underneath a tree in the fields, with a scenery of an england country side before them, added with the image of small european village houses, with Keith holding a book in his hand. Before going to bed, he made a list of books he wanted to share with Allura. Since the Garrison library also had a section strictly dedicated to typical fantasy books so the cadets could enjoy some down time with some good old make believe, Keith had gathered a few of them and had them in a bag near his bed so he would have them once he entered the Astral Plane._

_He first shared with Allura the various myths and lorries his world had to offer, starting with the fairytales. The first choice, naturally, was that of the maiden with the glass slipper. Already Allura was pointing out the plot holes and logical issues with the make believe tale. All Keith could do was listen in amusement._

_"The modern day analysis community would just love you."_

_"I'm sorry, I just can't wrap my head around that logic."_

_"That's the point about fairytales, they're more symbolic than literal."_

_Allura folded her arms and rose a brow. "Okay, enlighten me then. What's the symbolic meaning behind this particular story?"_

_"Well, I'm not literature expert but, to me, I guess it's supposed to symbolize that Cinderella is one of a kind. Sure the whole idea of the prince being able to only recognize her by shoe size is crazy and illogical, but I think the point to get across was that not one shoe fits all. In this case, not everybody will fit into the same category as everybody else. Cinderella could have easily lost hope living with her stepsisters, but she didn't. She was always kind and optimistic, and the fairy godmother rewarded her said kindness by granting her wish. When you think about it, Cinderella never really asked for anything other than just to be loved. So, when she got it, like the glass slipper, it was because of her crystal clear and pure heart. A heart that was unique to her, and I think that's what the glass slipper is supposed to mean. In a metaphorical sense, it's about Cinderella having love find her simply by being who she really is."_

_Allura blinked in bewilderment. "Wow… now I feel like silly one."_

_Keith slammed the book closed and placed it beside him. "Or it could just be that it was a fairytale written in 1697 and storytelling was a bit different back then. People didn't think much about plot holes."_

_"What's a plot hole?" Allura asked. Keith had a hunch she would ask._

_"It's all the problems you mentioned. It's "holes" in a story that are never either addressed, fixed or explained."_

_"Oh. Well, I actually like your interpretation better. Suddenly I have a more insight respect for the story." she said, picking the book up and flipping through the pages. "So, happened next?"_

_"What do you mean?"_

_"After the wedding, what happened?"_

_"Nothing." Keith replied with a shrug once Allura reached the final page. "They lived happily ever after."_

_Allura stared at him in confusion "You mean, the adventure ends with the marriage?"_

_"Well, I wouldn't say it it "ends" but in terms of the book, yeah. Some people have made their own ideas on what comes after, but that's really up to the imagination."_

_Allura blinked in surprise and stared at the image at the very end. The picture of Cinderella and her prince marrying one another and riding off into the sunset. "Strange. On Altea marriage is usually seen as the start of a story, never the end."_

_"Well, people on earth see marriage a bit… differently." Keith said. Shiro's words from a few days ago replayed in his mind. After some thinking, Keith did reconsider that perhaps telling Allura how he felt wouldn't be as bad as he thought. But, the problem was… he himself wasn't sure about his feeling for the princess._

_Yes, he saw her as a friend. One of the best friends he had ever had, and yes he found her interesting, and fun to be with, and intelligent, strong, loyal, determined, more gorgeous than any other woman he had seen in his life… yes, there was no denying he felt attracted to her, but, was he actually… 'in love' with Allura? Or was this really just an infatuation and nothing he should even bother to dive too deep into?_

_"What is marriage like on earth?" Allura asked. He should have known she would start asking more questions on the subject._

_"Depends, how is marriage like in Altea?" Keith asked back, being also curious as to how marriages worked in her home world._

_"Well, usually it's when a man and woman vow to be together till their final breath and their bodies vaporize into star dust. They have a ceremony, they either have children or not, and simply be the other's partner, best friend, confidant and at times even conscience."_

_Keith blinked in surprise. It often amazed him how Altea was so different in some aspects compared to earth, and yet in other cases it was pretty much the same. "I thought royal weddings had to be arranged."_

_"Maybe on some planets, but never on Altea. We believed in marrying for love and friendship, never for status."_

_"Well, on earth, it kind of used to be like that." Keith explained. He had a feeling Allura wasn't going to like his world's treatment of such a sacred thing. "Marriage wasn't treated with the same respect as it had on Altea. While some cultures do still do arranged marriages, most of the time we're free to choose who we want to marry. Sometimes a bit… too freely."_

_"What do you mean?"_

_Keith bit his bottom lip and scratched the back of his neck. "People don't always marry for the same reasons. Sometimes, it's for superficial reasons."_

_"Do they not date before marriage?"_

_"Wait, what?"_

_"Date. You know, they spend time together, talk, get to know one another. Do you not have those on earth?"_

_"No, we do. I mean, yes, we do have them, we do date each other." Keith's eyes partly widened upon realizing what he just said. More specifically to who he said it to. "But, uh, most of the time, those dates are also just as superficial. They start out innocent and then they…" Keith blushed, trying to find a more appropriate way to explain it. "Let's just say they don't always have happy endings and leave it that."_

_Allura gave Keith a saddened look. "That's so sad."_

_"Yeah, tell me about it." Keith muttered. Even if he had never dated anyone before, it was still very hard to see so many divorces, break ups and children loosing either one of their parents either because they weren't married so one could leave whenever he pleased, or man and woman left alone and betrayed by those they supposedly loved. At times, he wondered if people even knew what love was anymore._

_"So… have you ever dated anyone?" Allura asked, rather hesitantly and catching Keith by surprise._

_"Me?" he asked, pointing to himself. Allura nodded. "Oh, no, no. I think I've seen too many unpleasant examples in order to avoid it."_

_"Oh." Allura said, looking away sadly._

_"What about? A beautiful princess must have met a lot of, handsome, strong, brave princes in your day, right?"_

_"Eh, if by handsome, strong and brave you mean dimwitted, boring and in some cases snooty, then yes. Yes I have."_

_"Really?"_

_"No, I'm being too harsh." Allura gave a light laugh. "Of course, they weren't all bad. But, the majority of them that were nice were either too old for me, too young, or just simply not someone I can picture myself with for the rest of my life."_

_"So, you've never been on a date, have you?"_

_"There was this one time." she said, fiddling with her yellow bracelets. Keith could already feel his spirits dropping. "He was nice, but we didn't have that much in common so that went nowhere."_

_Keith almost felt guilty with how relieved that made him feel._

_"What about you? Surely there must be some very lovely Garrison girls where you are."_

_"Pretty, yes. Interesting, not so much. Honestly, I barely even know any of their names."_

_Allura felt rather relieved to hear this. "Do all fairytales end in romance?"_

_"Not all of them, but the most popular ones do."_

_"That's ironic."_

_"Why?"_

_"From what you've described, it almost sounds as if your people have given up on true love if so many relationships have ended in disaster. So, why do they still read tales of love and devotion when they can't seem to even grasp the concept themselves?"_

_For a moment, Keith was left mute. The princess made a very good point. Why did people continue to read stories about love when they couldn't even find their own happiness? _

_"I don't know. Maybe it's because, deep down, they still hope for their happy ending one way or another." he said. In reality, he was referring more so to his own desire to achieve that "happy ending", which didn't necessarily invoke a love interest, but a place to call home once again._

_"Why would they want their story to end with falling in love?" Allura asked. "If you ask me, more of your earth fairytales should begin with two people joining together and have their journey be the true story."_

_"Well, there is also the fact that some people think they're better off without anybody to love."_

_"That's ridiculous. Not that there is anything wrong with a life of celibacy, but it's not a necessity anymore than marriage is. It's a free choice. But my point is, even if one is without a romantic partner, nobody can do everything on their own. A lot of things, yes, but not everything." the more she spoke, the more Keith found himself unable to find a proper responce to any of the points she was making. "Besides, finding love or wishing to find love shouldn't be considered beneath anyone. My father taught me that love is placing another's needs before your own, it's not about what you can get out of it. If it is like that then it's not love at all it's just… pleasure. True love should be rooted in friendship, which is basically what a marriage is. It's a more, romantic level of friendship, simple as that."_

_Keith wasn't sure if he was blinking the whole time, only that his mouth was left partly open as he listened to Allura's words. Everything she said he agreed with one hundred percent. But, even more so, nobody he knew spoke about love and marriage in the way she did. Especially about love and about it being a friendship above all else._

_It seemed as it all the pieces fell into place in his mind. Every doubt and confusion he had in regards to how he felt all just melted away and a wave of newfound confidence overwhelmed him._

_"What?" Allura asked, making Keith realize he must have been staring at her in a certain way._

_"Allura, I…" the words slipped out, but he mentally stopped before he could continue. His hesitation resurfaced. "I… I couldn't have said it better myself." he said._

_His heart was pounding hard against his chest and felt as if lighting was coursing through his body once he noticed that their hands, which were both pressed on the grass facing the other, were very, very closer. Keith cleared his throat and proceeded to rummage through his bag of books again._

_"Um, how about we dive into some adventure stories next?"_

_Allura spotted one cover that caught her eye and pulled it out, her knuckles brushing off the skin on Keith's arm, making the two of them jolt in alarm. "What about this one?" she asked, her voice slightly trembling at the sensation._

_Keith gently took the book and opened it. He smiled. "Oh, this one's a classic." he said. Allura scooted closer as he read the tittle out loud. "The Chronicles of Narnia, by C. S Lewis."_

_(~)_

This all felt like a dream come true for Lance. Nyma showed him a kinetic spring, which created a rainbow due to the minerals reflecting off of the water. The two eventually landed by the spring, happily chatting with one another.

Unbeknownst to Lance, Nyma had contacted Rolo via her bracelet. He stopped midway in fixing it and said he would take it for a test flight with Beezer. Without much else explanation he left, leaving the paladins to stare in bewilderment. He sure left in a hurry. Perhaps, too much of a hurry.

Back with Lance and Nyma, the blue paladin believed everything was going perfectly… until Nyma suddenly handcuffed Lance to a tree and Rolo appeared with his fully functional ship, taking the blue lion with them.

"Nyma, what's going on?!"

"Sorry, Lance. Maybe we'll meet again." she said as she was hoisted up via a cable towards the ship. Though, judging by the non-remorseful look on her face, she really didn't care one way or the other. Lance didn't know what was worse, the humiliation of being dumped by a girl who never even liked him, his lion being stolen…or the fact that Keith was right the whole time, and the field day he was going to have once he found out.

Once the ship took off, Lance quickly contacted the others via his helmet. Upon realizing they had been tricked, Hunk started ranting on how he suspected Rolo of being a two-faced lier the entire time. Much to the annoyance of his fellow paladins.

"I mean, if the thermal pipe was cracked, then, obviously, hello, the entire assembly should be totally roasted. We shouldn't had to replace the entire undercarriage of that reactor. So, right there, I was, like, positive. Foul play."

"Okay, we get it!"

The paladins all got into their lions and raced after Rolo and his crew, who flew right into an asteroid field. A field Rolo knew all too well so they could outrun the lions easily. What they didn't count on was that the Red Lion had the speed necessary to get through that asteroid field. Even with Nyma and Rolo firing their blasters at Keith, he managed to outmaneuver them with ease and flung the Red Lion's jaw blade at the ship, disabling the blasters before blasting at it with his lion's mouth, knocking the ship into the asteroid belt by destroying its engines. Using his lion's claws and rockets, Keith grabbed hold of the ship, sustaining it long enough for the lions to finally arrive to apprehend Rolo and his crew.

Keith cheered victoriously. "Yeah! Hey, Lance, I got your lion back."

"Thank you, Keith. Now, can you come and unchain me?"

"What's that? I, uh, y-you're cutting out. I can't--I can't hear you." Keith teased, pretending that the disconnection was bad, when in reality he just wanted some good old payback for Lance not having listened to him earlier.

"Oh, come on! I thought we bonded. Keith? Buddy? My man?"

Afterwards, Rolo, Nyma and Beezer were left without a lion, and without a working ship. "Since your ship really doesn't work now, you'll have to wait here for a rescue." Keith said to the bounty hunters, who genuinely looked remorseful for their actions.

"Thanks… for sparing our lives." Rolo said. Really, he didn't take it as much of a victory, considering they still didn't have anything anymore. "You may not believe this, but I really do hope you stop Zarkon. It's a lifetime of fighting the Galra that led me to where I am today."

The team looked at the team with concern, but did not reply to his words and instead left the trio alone with their destroyed ship. They got their punishment, but at least they were given the best kind of benevolent punishment they could be given. The chance to live.

Lance looked back once more, hoping maybe Nyma would look back. She didn't. If anything, it would seem she had nearly forgotten he was there already. His shoulders dropped and he walked back into the castle, looking disappointed.

Keith noticed this and already was feeling the guilt himself. Allura placed a hand on his shoulder in comfort. Her silence said everything.

(~)

_The day was done, but Keith was still restless. Pacing back and forth in his room, pondering on what to do. Shiro's advice never left his mind. They replayed over and over and over again, even during class. It was a miracle none of the teachers called him out for zoning in and out of his thoughts. After much thought, he finally decided he would do just as Shiro said._

_Before going to see her, Keith stared at himself in the mirror. For the first time, he was actually self cautious about how he looked. New thoughts like maybe his bangs were too messy, or maybe his cloths were too old and worn, which was a stupid thought since Keith could always manifest his normal cloths in the Astral Plane, so wether they were dirty or not didn't make much of a difference._

_He kept on pondering and pondering on how to go about this. Then, it hit him. He quickly opened his laptop and got right into a video sharing website, searching for song choices. When one option popped up, he knew he hit the jackpot._

_With that settled. Keith dozed off and quickly found himself in the fields of Altea once again. He quickly spotted the princess standing nearby, waiting for him. "Allura, hey!"_

_"Hey! I'm so happy you're here, I have something for you." without warning, Allura grabbed Keith by the wrist and dragged him towards a hillside. With a wave of her hand, everything around her shifted._

_Keith was left staring in awe as the ground beneath them became a polished marble, resembling the kind one would find in a medieval palace, which was exactly what the scenery had become. It resembled that of a majestic palace throne room, with four thrones at the very end, with massive windows and openings allowing in the sunlight. From outside he saw a gorgeous beach with the midday sun overhead. Nearby there was a life-like puppet of a lion, unmoving but present beside the four thrones._

_"Wha…what is this?" Keith asked, smiling like a wide-eyed little kid until he turned around to see Allura in a very slim, feminine knight-like outfit, with her hair up in a bun._

_"I know it's a bit unexpected, but I was just so amazed by the story of Narnia that, I thought it would be fun to reenact a few scenes. Like, perhaps…"with a wave of her hand, she manifested two swords. "The sword fights? I remember how much to enjoyed reading those parts."_

_Keith didn't know what to say. Allura must have taken all of the detail from the book to memory and all so she could surprise him by receating his favorite series growing up?_

_"You did this… for me?" he finally said, knowing darn well his face much have been reader than a tomato._

_"Of course. Keith, you have done so much for me already. Trying to find a way to wake me up, even with all of our dead ends. Sharing your world with me, trusting me with your past, and listening to me when I talked about mine. I wanted to do something for you too."_

_Keith traced his hand trough his hair, still smiling and laughing in wonderful surprise. "I… I don't know what to say."_

_"Then don't say anything. Just grab a sword and let's get started." Allura tossed him the sword, which resembled the one Peter wielded in the book. As fun as that sounded, Keith was reminded of what he really wanted to tell her. Just then, the entire scenery gave him an idea._

_"Actually. I had something else in mind." Keith said, surprising Allura. She thought for sure he'd be excited for a sword fight. The princess gasped when a sudden tune, unlike anything she had ever heard before, started playing in the air without the aid of instruments._

_"What kind music is this?"_

_"It's a really old, but still popular song from earth."_

_"It's beautiful."_

_"As fun as sword fight is, I was actually hoping you would teach me some old Altean ballroom dances?" Keith said, nervously scratching the back of his neck._

_Allura blinked in surprise. "You want to dance?"_

_"I… was actually planning on surprising you with this." he confessed. Rather than be disappointed, Allura too smiled in surprise._

_"Your surprise was me teaching you how to ball room dance?" she said between chuckles._

_"Well, I know you love sharing your traditions with me, and I brushed this off for long enough. Plus, we already have the scenery. If you're still interested."_

_"This is… I don't know what to say."_

_"Don't say anything." with a snap of his fingers, Allura's hands reached for her mouth in surprise when Keith's cloths changed. He now wore a classic earth tuxedo, with a red tie and white undershirt. "Just take my hand and let's get started."_

_Allura's smile only grew wider until she noticed she still wasn't dressed accordingly. With a wave of her wrist, her amor ready outfit changed into a stunning Altean ball gown. It was more regal, and surprisingly simpler looking than her normal white and blue one. The neckline wrapped around her shoulders, leaving her neck bare, with a simple golden neckless with a dangling teardrop blue stone. The dress itself was a pale lavender color, which opened up starting from bellow the waist, revealing a white fabric underneath. It was so long it dragged behind her, landing in an elegant pool of lavender on the castle floor. Her darker colored sleeves were long and hugged her arms, leaving her hands exposed. She wore longer, deep blue, versions of her earrings and her hair was let loose, flowing elegantly behind her like cosmic dust._

_Keith was at a loss for words and almost forgot to move. The princess looked more beautiful than any fairytale princess he had seen in books, or those models in magazines. She bowed, which reminded Keith to finally move an inch and bowed like a gentleman. He took her hand into his, and for the first time, he felt something ignite the moment their skin made contact._

_Their eyes locked, like two magnets connecting. He placed his arm around her waist while she had her hands on his shoulder. Rather than outright tell him how he should dance, Allura decided to teach by example. Keith was amazed at how similar ballroom dancing in Altea was to the ones on earth. He almost trips a few times, thankfully he didn't step on her feet, which she was cautious of, but still laughed it off._

_In no time at all, as if by some kind of natural phenomenon, Keith got the moves down pegged, and Allura eventually ceased trying to teach him and instead the two glided across the dance floor with the music playing in the air._

_Self cautious during the first few minutes, Keith's confidence escalated quickly and he smiled the entire time, mirroring Allura's own dazzling smile. He had never seen her this happy. Allura felt as if she and Keith were dancing on air. As a matter of fact, they were._

_Using the Astral Plane to their advantage, the two where now hovering over the dance floor, their feet stepping on air as the music carried on. They spun, Allura twirled, her dress moving elegantly around her like the loose petals of the juniperberries, and Keith did some daring moves such as dip her, and lift her by her waist as they spun, gently lowering her down. The two bursted out laughing, Allura had never seen a dance move like that before._

_For the first time in a long time, Allura had completely forgotten she was still asleep. Even if the place didn't resemble Altea at the moment, or her castle, the feeling of dancing free, happy and joyfully without a care rhyme or reason, it certainly felt like home again. And the fact that she was sharing it with Keith, gave her the hope that there could be a better future waiting for her. Every moment she spent with him, she was reminded of the possibility of being free. Of seeing the world once more._

_The lights of the castle dimmed, leaving the flames of the candles to illuminate the room, creating a mesmerizing, but enchanting effect._

_If the Garrison students ever saw Keith doing this, they would either laugh their heads off or stare in awe at the fact he was dancing--and surprisingly well--with an alien princess from another galaxy. But, in all honesty, the Garrison, earth, and even the struggles of his past just disappeared with each step and spin that came after the last. Being with Allura made him fell happy, scared, vulnerable, and strong all at the same time. There was no way he could hide it anymore, not even to himself._

_He had fallen deeply in love with the Altean princess. And she, in return, had fallen just as deeply for him as well._

_Their smiles, which had been present throughout the entire dance, slowly shifted to gazes of an odd mixture of surprise, uncertainty, and admiration. Their movements slowed, yet their eyes remained locked to each other. They came to a very slow stop as they descended to the ground. The sound of the music was weak compared to the sound of their beating hearts. Not so much beating, but pounding so hard they could feel their ears vibrate._

_Their bodies were close. Very, very close they could feel the other's breath against their skin. All logic and reason flew out the window as their faces grew closer and closer. Keith's hand subconsciously reached to cup Allura's cheek, his fingers caressing the nap of her neck, increasing the red in her cheeks, which only rivaled Keith's. Their eyes slowly closed once their lips finally made contact._

_The music stopped all on its own and Keith wouldn't have been surprised if his heart had just literally bursted right out of his chest. The sensation of Allura's lips against his were sweeter than anything he had experienced. The electrifying sensation of her hands cupping his neck, her fingers tangled in his mess of a mullet, or the light hums that came from her mouth as their lips moved against the other, savoring the taste and the feel of their bodies pressed together, it was all so overwhelming it made his head spin. Allura's arms wrapped around Keith's neck, causing the kiss to deepen even more so than before. Keith kept one arm wrapped around her waist, while the other continued to cup her left cheek, caressing her skin._

_When the two parted for air, they remained in the same position as before. Allura bit her bottom lip, still smiling blissfully with her eyes looking away bashfully. When she looked back at Keith, he looked just as blissful and bashful as she did._

_"So." she began. "Would you consider this a Happily Ever After?"_

_Keith gently shook his head, still smiling. "No… this is the beginning of the story."_

_Allura giggled softly before merging her lips with his once more. The music played once more and the two swayed to the lyrics._

_ **"Tale as old as time** _

_ **Song as old as rhyme** _

_ **Beauty and the Beast."** _

_(~)_

Back inside the ship, after everyone had changed back to their normal cloths, and the ship was back to flying, Lance sat in the kitchen, depressingly stirring the green goop in front of him until he noticed Keith walk in. He turned away.

"Come here to gloat?" Lance said bitterly.

Keith only leaned against the counter, arms crossed but with eyes of concern. "I'm sorry things didn't work out with Nyma."

Lance dropped his spoon into his food and tilted his head back against his chair. "I can't believe I was so stupid." he said. When Keith didn't say anything in responce, Lance looked back at him. "What? Not gonna agree?"

"Oh, no, I totally agree. You were an idiot."

"Thanks, great pep talk." Lance gave Keith a sarcastic thumbs up. "You should be a motivational speaker."

Keith shook his head and traced his hands over his hair and sighed, even took a seat next to Lance. He took in a deep breath before speaking again. "I just want to make this perfectly cleat, alright? I know you think of us as rivals with this long history and all, but I'm gonna be upfront. I don't care if you're better than me at something."

His words caught Lance somewhat off guard.

"I don't care wether or not you're the better pilot, or sharpshooter, or whatever. I don't even mind if you manage to somehow get yourself a girlfriend through all of this. Heck, I'll even be happy for you, but…" he paused for a moment, realizing his voice was getting higher. "But I am asking this one thing of you. Just this one thing."

Lance stared at him, waiting for whatever it was he was going to say.

"When you meet someone you like and want to get to know her, please… please don't do it because you want to be better than me at something. I'm fine with a little competition, but leave any girl you meet out of it. Get to know someone because you want to, not because you want to one up me, okay?"

Lance, for once, was at a loss for words. This was literally the very first genuine conversation they have ever had. Well, it was more Keith giving him some, surprisingly good advice. If Lance was being honest, one of the reasons why he was so determined to have Nyma like him, wasn't just because she was pretty, but because he really was hoping to find some pretty alien girlfriend like Keith did. Who wouldn't want to have someone by their side in the fight against evil. But, hearing Keith's words made Lance realize just how selfish he was being. If Nyma wasn't a two-faced lier, Lance would have seriously messed up big time in terms of relationships. He got lucky this one time, but… maybe if he really did hope to find someone some day and have what Keith and Allura had, then… maybe he should start by really getting to know a girl rather than subconsciously treat her as a means to get what he wants. Once again, his own insecurities made him act selfish and reckless.

Keith got up from his chair and prepared to walk out, only to be stopped when Lance spoke up. "Thanks." he said, "I'll remember that next time."

Keith turned his head around and smiled at the blue paladin. Maybe there was hope for him yet.

Afterwards, Keith arrived at the control room, where he saw Allura doing some last minute work. He let out a tired yawn, but proceeded to work. Keith walked up from behind her, wrapping his arms around her waist, while resting his chin on her shoulder.

"Tired?"

"Exhausted." Allura replied, intertwining her fingers with his, which were still wrapped around her waist. "And a little guilty. I feel bad about leaving Rolo and his crew behind like that."

"Yeah, but in retrospect they did try and steal one of the lions."

"I'm not saying they don't deserve it, but what Rolo said was rather true. Imagine how different his life would have been had it not been for the Galra. If Zarkon had never attacked, so many lives would have been spared."

"I know." Keith said, empathizing with Allura. She was right, the Galra have destroyed many lives. If Zarkon hadn't started this war, Allura would still be with her family, and nobody in the universe would be suffering as much.

"At least there is some good that came from all of this." Allura said, turning around to face her earthling boyfriend, placing her hand over his heart. "I got to meet you."

That was true. As bad as everything seemed, Keith meeting Allura was one of the blessings that came from this war. Heck, even meeting the other paladins and forming Voltron was another upside. He didn't need to say anything for her to know he agreed. She could already read it in his eyes.

Even if things aren't as, "magical" as they were in the Astral Plane, fighting side by side to save the universe… sounds like the perfect fairytale beginning. Keith kissed her lovingly on the forehead. Even if he wouldn't be able to show her all the sights back on earth, they still had an entire galaxy to explore.

And save


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The paladins return to the Balmara to save Shay and her people. Allura does everything in her power to save them, and restores their hope along the way.

After that run in with Rolo and his crew, team Voltron were well on their way towards the Balmara to rescue Shay and her people.

The Balmara was a planet like creature where the ancient Alteans once gained crystals to power their ships. However, every time they did so they had to perform a rejuvenating ceremony in order to restore the Balmara's energy. It was an equal exchange.

But ever since Zarkon took over, the Galra have been harvesting crystals left and right, destroying the poor creature and making its inhabitants suffer while mining underground.

Even though Keith had never met Shay, he could empathize with Hunk's determination to rescue her. Even if what Hunk said was true, the desire to help someone in need, regardless of romantic attachment or not, was something Keith could relate with. After all, he remembered how much he wanted to help Allura to wake up and get back at Zarkon. he had accomplished his mission. Now it was time to help Hunk accomplish his.

The team approached the Balmara on their lions, careful not to harm its surface. If they did so, the poor creature would feel the pain, and it had suffered enough already. Their first attempt was to take down their main power generator. In the process, Shiro uncovered a new ability his lion had.

A jaw blade.

Keith and Lance discovered new powers too. Keith found out his lion could shoot lava from its mouth while Lance's could shoot ice beams. Once the generator was done the group split up into teams. Keith and Lance would go underground and disable the launch sequence in the hanger where the Galra troops would be ready for launch. Hunk would go and rescue Shay and her family while Shiro and Pidge would track down the Galra soldiers.

Keith and Lance managed to sneak by the Galra troops by walking onto of a catwalk that led to the control room to shut down the bay doors and delay the launch. An idea which, surprisingly, came from Lance himself. Well, it was admittedly better than Keith's plan to just barge in and start bashing heads with his bayard. As embarrassing as it was to admit, Lance did make a valid point. Keith may be hothead, but he was not unreasonable when lives were on the line.

Once inside, Keith created a hold underneath them with his sword, and Lance landed onto of the Galra droid, smashing it with the piece of rounded metal beneath him.

"Keep an eye out for those Galra guard. I'll see if I can find a way to shut the hanger doors." Lance said. Keith nodded in agreement and kept watch, while Lance tried to figure out this Galra language. He was beginning to wish he had taken some kind of alien language tutorial back at the castle because he didn't understand any of this. He started pressing several buttons on the panel but nothing happened.

"I don't know what I'm doing here. It's all Galra gibberish. Did Allura teach you any ancient alien language stuff?"

"Only a little Altean." Keith replied and got back up to see for himself. "Let me see." Keith studied the lettering and symbols, but like Lance, he wasn't entirely sure what they meant. Yet, there was one particular symbol right above the buttons which Keith had a hunch he comprehended.

With little hesitation he placed his hand over the strange hand sized symbol. It lit up with a red color and the hanger doors closed. Both paladins started in surprise.

"Whoa. How did you do that?" Lance asked.

"I… just put my hand on the handprint." Keith replied, probably sounding even more astonished than Lance did. How did he comprehend it was a hand print so fast? And how was it so simple that the alarm didn't react to his human DNA? Shouldn't the computer have known he wasn't Galra? Maybe the Galra themselves were cocky and didn't even bother to program the computer to only read Galra DNA, so anyone with a hand could have easily opened and closed the hanger doors if they so pleased?

Whatever the reason, they have little time to think about it when Allura's voice was heard via the speaker from tier helmets.

"_Paladins, are you there?_"

"We're here, Allura." Keith replied immediately.

"_The troops are moving down the tunnels. It looks like they're going down towards the center._"

"They must be heading to the core of the Balmara." Hunk said, intervening. "That's where they're holding Shay."

Shiro immediately caught on that the Galra could be leading them into a trap, but there didn't seem to be any other choice if they were going to rescue Shay. Keith sliced the controls with his sword and the two made their way out.

Keith focused all of his attention on the task at hand. He could ask questions about that latter.

(~)

_It was an astonishing miracle that Keith was able to keep himself steady the following day. He did his usual routine; got up, got dressed, went to class, ate lunch, etc. While everyone else was oblivious, Shiro definitely caught on that there was something different about Keith. He spotted the young cadet in the hallway and quickly grabbed his arm, catching him by surprise. Keith honestly did not expect to see Shiro, nor did he acknowledge his presence._

_"So, I take it things well?" Shiro asked, though given the look on his face, Keith had a hunch he was going to get the answer he was looking for._

_"You know, you're really nosy, you know that." Keith said, unable to hide the amused smile on his face._

_"Quit the stalling, give me the details. What did she say?"_

_Keith knew he couldn't admit to the ballroom dancing. So, he did twisted the truth a bit. "I… let her know how I felt and… she was happy about it."_

_Shiro bit his tongue to keep himself from shooting in victory. Instead he just pounded his fist and pounded his open hand once. "Yes! Was that so hard?"_

_"D-Don't get too excited, okay. We're trying not to make it weird."_

_"Okay, so, is there any chance she might come for a visit, or you going to see her?"_

_"Uh, it's still on hold for now, but from where I stand everything is going pretty well."_

_Shiro placed a proud hand on Keith's shoulder. "I'm happy for you, buddy."_

_"Thanks. As always, your advice really helped."_

_"It always does."_

_After the day was over, Keith was getting ready for bed, only for something to slip from underneath his pillow, making a clang sound once it landed on the floor. Keith's once happy demeanor quickly shifted to one of concern._

_It was his knife._

_He had been so preoccupied with helping Allura, and basically on cloud nine since last night, he had nearly forgotten about it. Allura had seen the knife, but he never told her who had given it to him, or why he had it._

_Picking it up, he unbounded the wrappings around the handle, revealing a purplish colored stone with a strange symbol. Over the years, Keith only thought of it as some pretty artistic addition to the blade. But, looking at it now, it looked distinctly…._

_Alien in nature._

_This knife was really just a family heirloom, given to him by his father, but now… now he was looking at it in a whole new light._

_Even more disturbing, the symbol looked somewhat familiar, yet he couldn't quite put why. Maybe Allura could help him figure it out. It was probably just a coincidence, since many people on earth do artistic things with gemstones now a days. Still, it wouldn't hurt to at least ask._

_He placed the knife under his pillow again and drifted off to sleep. Appearing around the juniperberries had long since become second nature to him, yet he still never got tired of the beauty before him. He scanned the area, looking for the princess, but she was nowhere in sight._

_"Allura?"_

_"Surprise!"_

_Keith was caught off guard when a pair of slender arms wrapped around his neck from behind, following a surprise kiss on the cheek. Keith couldn't contain his laugher. He wrapped his arms around her waist and lifted her up, spinning her around while she wrapped her arms around his neck, laughing at the gesture._

_Once her feet were back on the ground, Allura cupped his face and place a loving kiss on his lips. The sensation was just as magical as the last time. He wrapped his arms tighter around her, savoring the taste of her lips. He never realized just how long he had wished he could this without hesitation. Once the kiss ended, Allura smiled bashfully. They were both very new to all of this, so they still had a bit of a habit of feeling a little self cautious._

_"I missed you." she said, hoping she didn't sound too corny._

_"I missed you, too." Keith replied, his beautiful indigo eyes sparkling it made Allura swoon._

_"So, um… I had a really nice time last night." she said, still looking bashful yet blissfully happy, and her arms wrapped around his neck. "You sure you've never danced before."_

_"I… may have looked up a few things online." Keith replied, blushing._

_"So, you cheated a bit." Allura giggled. Keith had since long ago explained what the internet was, so she didn't have to bombard him with questions, which he never really mind answering._

_"On earth, we don't call it cheating, we call it research."_

_Allura and Keith shared a laugh before kissing once more. Keith never really knew how it felt to have butterflies in one's stomach until he tasted Allura's lips, or the feeling as if he was on top of the world._

_How it felt like to not even care how corny it sounded to even so much as thing such things. Yet here he was, thinking about them, while having his arms wrapped around the most amazing woman he had ever met. They parted for a moment, but pressed their foreheads together, grinning like fools. Allura sought her chance and reached towards Keith's pocket._

_Keith was caught off guard when Allura shoved him aside and pointed his own knife at him, not in a malicious way, or for self defense, but as a way to tease him._

_"You know, we never did have that sword fight." she reminded him. Keith laughed at her little joke, but half of that sadness faded once he remembered why he brought the knife with him to begin with. Allura caught on to his sudden change in expression._

_"What's wrong?"_

_Keith figured maybe it could wait a while longer. "It's nothing." he said before gently taking the knife out of her hand and kissing her cheek. "Still want to have that sword fight?"_

_"Fair warning, don't think this means I will go easy on you." she said, using a tone that carried a subtle flirtatious vibe, wrapping one arm around his shoulder, while the other hand subconsciously reached towards the back of his neck, tangling her fingers in his dark locks._

_Something about the two of them finally having "admitted" their feelings towards one another had suddenly made them a bit more bold in their interactions. Not too, too bold, but definitely more so compared to before._

_"You're on, Princess." Keith replied, surprised he too used the same tone as she did._

(~)

After narrowly escaping a row of Galra troops shooting lasers at them, Keith and Lance arrived at the core of the Balmara in the nick of time. They found Shay, but just as expected, it was a trap, and Shay was unwillingly used as the bait to lure them in. Now the team were trapped inside the core of the Balmara with no way out.

"We have to figure out how to get out here." said Shiro. That much was obvious.

"Wait. We have a giant Castle Ship hovering in the sky!" Lance said, "Allura, can you please come get us?"

"How do you expect her to do that, genius?" Keith said, arms folded. One minute Lance could be kind of bright, and other times he was like that annoying younger brother who couldn’t seem to get a clue.

"I don't know, maybe they got teleporters or something."

"They don't." Keith stated in a mater-of-fact manner.

"Oh, and how would you know about—Wait, never mind."

Unfortunately, even if Allura's castle did have teleporters, there was no way they could beam them all up even if they wanted to.

"_We're quite occupied at the moment!_" Allura said, grunting afterwards, as if she had been hit by something heavy. "_We are completely surrounded by Galra ships and we're taking heavy fire! AH!_"

"Allura!" Keith cried out her name, hearing her cry out in pain. She was the only one who could pilot the castle ship, and her energy converged with the Balmara crystal often drained a lot out of her. She was using a lot to fend off these Galra ships. The particle barrier wouldn't last for much longer.

"Allura! Can you hear me?!"

"_I'm alright, Keith._" Allura replied, straining as she struggled to keep her balance. While she staggered she did not stumble. "_But you all need to get out of there as soon as you can!_”

Just when all seemed lost, at least it looked that way from Lance's perspective, Shay had her own idea. She used a special skill in which she would send her own energy to the Balmara who would in turn transmit the message towards the rest of the Balmara.

Shay's family heard the cry and rushed in to help the paladins. They hurried to their lions, and just in time to take down the Galra troops and the massive Galra battle cruiser which had arrived to finish off the Castle of lions. The lions formed Voltron and were able to stop the ion cannon from hit the castle, giving Allura enough time to manifest a massive beam directly at the Galra ship, splicing it in two. The massive explosion took out several more Galra troops in its wake.

The paladins all cheered in victory, while Allura smiled and let out a sigh of relief. Keith's image appeared on the screen in front of her, smiling proudly. "Nice shot there, babe. Mission accomplished."

"And just in the tick of time." Allura replied, right after she giggled at Keith's little nickname for her. "The castle's defenses are battered and will need to fully recharge."

Of all the rotten luck, the battle wasn't over just yet. Something came shooting from the sky and onto the surface of the Balmara, causing it even more pain than before. It was another one of the creatures from Zarkon, having emerged from the same metal confinement as the first one.

This monster would prove to be their toughest yet. This thing was able to shoot lasers not only from its constantly rotating eyes, but also from its elongated arms. Even as Voltron the lions were helpless, not that as five individual lions would do them any good either.

Meanwhile, the particle barrier from the castle was far too weak from the fight with the Galra fleet, still Allura and Korra tried their best to assist their companions by giving them some cover as they attempted to shoot at the laser eyes directly. This resulted in the creature shooting all of its multiple lasers at once at the ship, which as Coran stated, was tearing it apart.

Shiro told the princess to pull back for her and Coran's safety while the lions headed into the mine shaft where the monster would not be able to shoot them. Allura at first stubbornly refused to abandon anyone, but Shiro insisted. As much as Allura didn't want too, logically speaking he was right. The castle was in no condition to fight back or defend itself properly.

Keith gave Allura a reassuring salute on the screen, and the princess blew him a kiss for good luck before they headed to orbit. Keith zoomed down to the mines alongside his fellow paladins. He agreed with Shiro, Allura and Coran needed to be placed out of harms way. He would never be able to live with himself if he allowed Allura to get killed, and vice versa.

(~)

_The two had their usual sparing match. After seventh months, Keith was a natural at the traditional Altean style of sword fighting, while Allura had picked up classic earth styled sword fights almost at the drop of a hat. She was a fast learner, one of the many things Keith found undeniably attractive. He still couldn't believe he had become confident enough to admit such a truth. In his mind none the less, but still._

_It was a fantastic way to get his mind off of the knife. The topic had evaporated from his memory. Allura's smile, if he didn't know any better, appeared wider. She giggled more, was practically twirling as she spun round to counter his attacks, and she would take every opportunity to wink at him, making Keith blush. Clever princess used the advantage to make him trip more than once._

_Of course, two could play at that game. When their blades clashed, Keith managed to gain the upper hand and trip Allura… only to voluntarily catch her by grabbing her waist with his free hand. Her arm subconsciously grabbed his shoulder, making it appear as if he had dipped her, the same way he did during their dance the other night._

_"Who knew you could be such a charmer." Allura said, the two of them were panting from the match, yet they knew the rise in temperature was not because to the battle itself._

_By some unspoken agreement, both dropped their respected swords, and Allura wrapped her arms around Keith's neck. He in turn wrapped his arms around her waist, lost in yet another passionate kiss._

_"I win." Keith said with a grin once they ended the kiss._

_"On the contrary. I believe I did." she said, ruffling his hair. The two laughed like the love struck teenagers they were. Keith kept his arms around Allura, while she gently gripped his shirt. "Is this is it?"_

_"Is what it?" Keith asked._

_"Is this how earthlings express their love for each other?"_

_Keith was a bit caught off guard when she said the actual "L" word. "Y-Yeah. Why? Do Alteans do it differently?"_

_Allura gently shook her head. "No. Just, making sure. For a moment, I thought this was all a dream within a dream. But, when I'm with you... I feel wide awake."_

_Keith gently caressed her cheek, his thumb right underneath one of the pink markings under her eyes. He never outright said the words to her last time, because he believed their actions said it all. But, at this moment, after she said the actual word, he felt compelled to say it back._

_"Allura… I love you." he blurted out in the softest, most gentle, confident and yet vulnerable tone Allura had ever heard from Keith. A joyous smile grew wide on her face, alone with a few tears of happiness swelling up in her eyes._

_"I love you, too." she said, her tone matching Keith's to a T. Soft, gentle, confident and yet vulnerable all at once._

_"Even with my hideous ears?"_

_Allura laughed as she gently rubbed her finger over one his rounded ears, tickling him a bit. " Actually, given time, I find them quite adorable." she said._

_Keith playfully rolled his eyes. "Lier."_

_Allura bashfully covered her face with her hands, blushing like a school girl, only to have Keith kiss her forehead. "You're still beautiful, though." Allura said, which made Keith blush even harder._

_"_You're_ beautiful."_

_The two held each other in their arms as the scenery around them changed, from the castle training deck, into a the juniperberry fields._

_The place where they first met._

_(~)_

Shay and her family were already loosing hope upon discovery of the monster attacking the surface. Hunk tried to reassure them that they could beat the monster… even if he didn't know how.

"Perhaps our people were never meant to be free."

"Shay, don't give up. Zarkon's power grows stronger with every planet he conquers but he's weakened by every being who fights back."

"Fight back? Against a monster like that? How?"

"I don't know, but we can beat it. Tell her, Keith."

Keith was a bit surprised Hunk looked to him for some backup on this, but given his past he could comprehend why.

As a whole, Shay was in no different situation than Allura was long ago. She was trapped because of Zarkon's own bloodthirsty conquest for complete universal domination. Allura had lost her family, and Shay was close to loosing hers.

"I don't exactly know now we can." Keith confessed, "But I do know one thing. Hunk risked his neck to try and save you and your family, Shay. He hasn't given up on you, and neither will we."

"Keith is right." Shiro said, taking charge as the leader he was. "This is our first mission and we're not going to fail. We _can_ beat it, we just need to time to come up with a plan."

"See? Told you we can." Hunk said, the turned to the red and black paladins. "Thanks you guys."

The ground began to shake and crumble. Shay's brother pressed his hand on the surface of the ground. The Balmara was loosing life fast with every hit it took from the beast above. The core was breaking apart, and would crumble at the seams, destroying everyone on in only a matter of hours.

Allura's heart broke for the Balmara's. Inside, was a weeping princess while on the surface remained the stone hard face of a leader. These people were about to loose everything they had ever known, all because of Zarkon. With each passing day, Allura's hatred towards the Galra and Zarkon grew stronger and stronger to the point it became probably her greatest motivation for taking him down. As twisted as it may sound, Allura swore she would not rest and would fight even to the very end of her days until Zarkon payed for all he had done.

Her first plan was to get all the Balmarans into the ship before the Balmara broke apart.

"I'm coming down."

"Princess, no, it's too dangerous!" Coran cried.

"Someone has to be there to lead these people out."

"You're coming down?" Pidge asked in shock. "That thing will spot your pod and blow it to pieces!"

"Let me worry about that. You just focus on keeping the creature distracted."

"Are you crazy?! Keith, tell her she's crazy!" Lance exclaimed, trying to talk some sense into the princess. He fought that creature, there was no way she would be able to go right by it with no problem.

"I doubt it's going to make much of a difference." Keith replied before addressing his attention to his girlfriend on the screen. "We've got your back, Allura."

Allura smiled in gratitude. The paladins proceeded with their plan to distract the monster while Allura got on her pod and zoomed out of the castle hanger. Lance and Keith spotted her zooming down towards the Balmara.

"Is that Allura?!" Lance said in shock. He knew she was tough, but this was borderline heroic and suicidal all at once. No wonder she and Keith fit so well. They were both heroic maniacs.

Keith, on the other hand, smiled with pride. "That's my girl." he whispered to himself.

When the monster readied his beam at her, Keith flew right into the line of fire, taking the hit. Thankfully, the lion only lost momentum for a short while and he was able to regain his position in the sky.

Allura reached the mines to greet Shay and her family. She asked if Shay had already alerted the others Balmarans, but the young female said that even with the end drawing near, they couldn't abandon the only home they have ever known. As noble as that was, Allura refused to allow Zarkon to destroy anymore innocent lives. He had already broken their spirits, but he was not going to break their legacy.

"No! I won't give up on you." Allura stated, her spirit solid as the rock beneath her feet. "I won't give up on any of you, no matter the circumstances."

"But we do not ask this of you." Shay pleaded.

"I have heard your words, now let me speak mine. I want to talk to the Balmarans, can you get a message to them from me?"

"There is no need to speak for you." said Shay's grandmother, "You have a unique power within. The Balmara will carry your words."

Allura looked in confusion, only to gasped in astonishment when she realized that, from where she had pressed her hand, behind remained a glowing hand print on the surface of the Balmara, made out of shimmering aquamarine colored quintessence. Allura never knew she could do this. Shay's grandmother gently pressed her hand back onto the circle of energy.

"Speak your heart, child. All can hear you."

The energy grew stronger than before. She could feel the Balmara itself speaking to her, and she could hear the voices of all who weeped upon its slow end. Closing her eyes, Allura spoke the words that were in her heart. She empathized with their struggle, their pain and fear, as well as their loss. She had long lost her home planet, but refused to allow these innocent people to suffer the same fate she did. They could choose to devote their lives to making sure this never happens to another planet, and to not allow it's death to go in vain.

Shay's grandmother pressed her hand on the surface of the wall and smiled at the young princess. The Balmarans had been touched by Allura's words and agreed to honor the Balmara by living to fight another day.

Allura's eyes teared up, thanking the Balmarans, but it was they who thanked her. Allura and her paladins have given them all a reason to hope once more.

"You have given us reason to hope again."

"I know the feeling." Allura replied, her mind going back to the Red Paladin.

(~)

_It didn't take long for Keith to get back in the groove of researching ways to help Allura. No matter how many times he came on empty, his desire to help Allura once again gave him the energy he needed to do his best. Of course, Allura did ask him not to push himself too hard, which he tried his best to take under consideration._

_Ever since they officially proclaimed their love for one another, Keith had become an entirely different person. More so than before. His grades were doing alright, and moved up the ranks as the best fighter pilot in his class, but the downside he was still late for the majority of his classes, and yet he somehow managed to ace his exams. Allura did make apretty good tutor, especially considering a lot of the earth material they taught was child's play. Her advice really helped him figure stuff out, which served him well since Keith was far from being a science nerd.. He was even a little bit friendlier to the other cadets, but still kept to himself._

_In fact, for one whole week, Keith spent his free time in his room working on something. Nobody knew exactly what he was doing, all they knew was that he went from the anti social broody cool guy, into a complete and total recluse, yet almost as happy as a bunny rapid in a spring meadow. Or a deer leaping across a grassy field. He sure looked happier, but he was still so distant._

_In reality, whenever Keith had an off day, he would spend at least an hour of the day napping just so he could see Allura again. He had heard stories about men when they were in love. Once upon a time, he would have out loud said they were silly and embarrassing, but actually having someone to laugh with, enjoy the peace and quiet, to talk and laugh, to have different opinions on various topics and yet agree on so many others, someone he could be serious, happy, sad, brave and vulnerable with was something Keith never imagined he would experience in his entire life._

_Allura shared the same sentiment. Nothing made her happier than to see Keith appear before her eyes. The experience never lost its appeal, and neither did sparing, talking and ridding their mustangs across the Altean fields. At this point, they knew each other like the back of their hands._

_Until, one day…_

_Keith had once again aced the simulator test. He waved to his brief teammates and prepared to retreat to his room for the night. A trio of male Garrison students blocked his path. Keith knew these guys all too well._

_"So, Keith, where you off to again?"_

_"None of your business." Keith tried to walk by them, only to get blocked again._

_"What's the hurry? It's only eight o' clock. Only old folks go to sleep this late."_

_"I like to get my rest." Keith replied sternly._

_"Come on, buddy. I think you know what we know."_

_"No, I don't."_

_"You sure? So, you haven't been talking to some chick you met on the internet?"_

_"That was just a rumor. And even if it were true, it's none of your business." Keith finally put his foot down and shoved the boys aside. But the leader only laughed._

_"Yeah, you're probably right. I mean, any girl who'd be interested in some pathetic loner, big shot wannabe like you would have to be some kind of mental looser."_

_Keith froze in place, his brows furrowed and his fists clenching. These boys didn't know Allura, so it's like they were actually offending her, just some random girl they thought he knew."_

_Unfortunately, one of the boys took this opportunity to pull something out of the chance opening in Keith's bag. "Hey! Give it back!"_

_The boy tossed it to his companion, and laughed out loud. It was a book with a bunch of strange looking symbols, but what really caught their attention was a sketch about a young woman with elfin ears, yet incredibly beautiful. The guy couldn't resist laughing._

_"Are you serious? This is what you've been up to? I'm all for having art as a hobby man, but this is crazy."_

_"Looks like now we know who Keith's secret girlfriend is!" the boys laughed. A choice they would immediately regret._

_Keith not only snatched the book out of their hands, but also grabbed their leader by the collar of his shirt and pressed him against the wall._

_"I told you, it's none of your business!" Keith shouted, his purple eyes filled with so much furry the boy thought he would wet his pants. But, unlike before, this opponent was not one to take likely. He kicked Keith in the stomach, which resulted in Keith punching him back in the jaw, sending him flying across the hallway. Shiro and a few faculty members saw the commotion and the fight ended as quickly as it started. Shiro spotted Keith's notebook and immediately grabbed it from the floor and led Keith away, reassuring he had it under control._

_Back in Keith's room, Shiro handed his friend some ice to put over his knuckles. The guy had one hard jaw, which Keith was more than sure he had broken._

_"I'm sorry." Keith confessed, not even bothering to point fingers at anyone else. "I let my temper get the better of me."_

_"Yeah, you did." Shiro took a seat beside him. "Keith, you know I support your relationship with Allura, but… as much as I hate to admit it, you're not getting any better at socializing. If anything, you're getting a lot worse."_

_"I just snapped because they laughed at my lame drawings, big deal. I'll apologize and I promise it will never happen again. I'll take whatever punishment the Commander throws at me."_

_"Keith, I'm only trying--"_

_"Look, I know I haven't been as open as I promised I would be, I get that, but I'm not just going to stop talking to Allura."_

_"I'm not telling you to. I'm just saying, you need to get your priorities back in order." Shiro placed a reassuring hand on Keith's shoulder. "You have to remind yourself what it is you want out of life."_

_Keith did not say a word. He wanted to, but knew if he did he would expose more than he needed to. Shiro patted his friend on the back before making his leave, leaving him alone with his thoughts. Never the less, as terrible as that experience was, Keith knew that there was never a moment where he regretted spending his time with Allura._

_When he returned to the Astral Plane, Allura gasped in shock upon seeing the bruise on his knuckles. "What happened?"_

_"I got into a fight with a bunch of idiots. No big deal."_

_"A fight about what?"_

_"It's nothing, just something stupid." Keith insisted._

_"Keith, you would never harm anyone for something stupid. Tell me."_

_How did he think he would keep something from the determined Allura?_

_"Fine. They saw… this." Keith manifested the drawing he had made of Allura, to which she gasped. Keith was surprisingly good at sketching, and he captured her face perfectly._

_"Keith… this is beautiful. Why would they attack you because of this?"_

_"They made fun of it, and called you a mental looser for even liking me. I know they weren't directly referring to you, but I… I just lost it." Keith looked down in regret and Allura nearly dropped the drawing, her mouth opened ajar while trembling._

_He fought to defend her honor, but in the process he had gotten himself into trouble. No doubt his superiors would punish him for this. This was the nail that broke the camel's back for Allura._

_Keith had been spending so much time helping her, and now he was in trouble because of her. On top of that, he had become more distant towards his fellow classmates. He didn't have much of a life anymore because he had been spending so much time with her. Keith had long since told Allura it was his choice to stay and help, but it's been months now. Already an entire year had gone by, and still they were back in the same place they were when they met._

_Sure, feelings had changed over time, but the status never did. Allura was still asleep, Keith was still awake, and they were millions of light-years away. How could Allura keep putting Keith through all of this for something that may not even happen._

_Allura stepped away from Keith, unwilling to even look at him. Keith reached out his hand towards her shoulder._

_"Allura?"_

_"Enough." she said, low and cold._

_"What?"_

_"Enough." she repeated, this time with more force and finally faced him. Her fists clenched to her side. "I have had enough of all of this."_

_"What are you talking about?"_

_"Open your eyes, Keith! Look at where we are!" she outstretched her hand to showcase the same juniperberry field they had seen a million times over. "We're right back from where we started, and we are no closer to achieving our goal! I'm still stuck in this vast prison and you're throwing your life away from someone who's never going to be around!"_

_Keith didn't know what to say as the princess continued her rant, while tears spilled from her eyes like a never ending waterfall._

_"We are galaxies away, on two completely different planes of reality, it's been over a year and still nothing!" she sobbed. "I'm not saying I don't believe in you, Keith. You are capable of so much more. You're smart, and kind and determined to do what is right. I have never met anyone like you, and I doubt I ever will. You were my first real friend in so many years of solitude, and you made me experience emotions I never knew I had. You mean… so much to me… I don't want to hold you back anymore."_

_Keith shook his head, reaching for Allura's hands. "No, Allura, you're not holding me back. Look, we'll figure this out."_

_"We've been saying that for a long time, Keith. A very, very long time. I've been patient and hopeful through it all, but seeing how much you have sacrificed for me already, I don't want any of that to go in vain."_

_"You're not saying what I think you're saying, are you?"_

_Allura sobbed harder as she stepped farther away from Keith, hugging herself. "It's time we faced reality Keith. We can't stay in this dream forever."_

_"And you won't." Keith reassured her. "I told you, staying here was my choice. Staying with _you_ is my choice!"_

_Allura cried harder, closing her eyes shut as she turned away father from him. "It's time to wake up, Keith." she said._

_Suddenly, everything in the Astral Plane became dark. Everything faded from existence and Keith saw his body already fading away. He didn't know how, but Allura was nor forcing him out._

_"No. No, Allura, stop! Allura!" Keith cried out her name before disappearing completely. Once he was gone, Allura broke down into a puddle on the floor. She didn't want to push him away, but he was already doing so much for her, she couldn't let his efforts go in vain. She couldn't do that to him. She loved him._

_She loved him enough to let him go._

_Keith awoke with a jolt, calling out Allura's name. It was still night, approximately midnight. He had gone to bed around eight thirty. He hadn't been gone for that long. He couldn't go back to sleep, not now after what happened. He understood what Allura did, but that didn't make the pain any less unbearable. But, she was right. They had made little to no progress in all this time, and the only thing that did chance was how they felt about each other._

_Maybe Allura was right. Maybe Shiro was right. Maybe they were all right._

_Maybe it was time to wake up._

_(~)_

The Balmarans made their way to the surface for the first time in who knows how long. The Castle Ship landed near the mining area, while the paladins continued to distract the beast. They managed to get Shay and her family out, but the Balmara's life force was draining away fast. The tunnel collapsed, trapping the innocent Balmarans inside, and the creature was still giving the paladins a run for their money.

It would appear all hope was lost, until….

"Look!"

All eyes turned to the bottom of the ship, where a clawing circle of blue appeared, right underneath from where the Balmara crystal inside the castle was. The Balmarans could feel the essence of the Balmara returning, even from this one area.

"The Balmara. The ground beneath your mighty ship appears healed." Shay said in astonishment. "It's essence thrives. But how?"

"The Castle." Allura said.

"Not just the Castle, but you as well." said Shay's grandmother. The moment the words left her mouth, Allura felt the same energy beneath her feet as well. The ground shimmered a bright blue, healing the Balmara.

"It's true." Coran said. "Your Altean energy combined with the ship's crystal has revitalized this part of the Balmara."

"That's it! Maybe we can perform the ceremony you spoke about. We can save the Balmara." Allura said. If she performed the rejuvenation ceremony, the same one her father performed for the Balmara all those years ago, then maybe this entire beast could be saved, and everyone in it. This poor creature and its citizens have suffered enough. Allura could not stand by anymore.

"The Galra have only been taking… it's time we give back."

Allura planned to connected with the crystal inside and the castle's power to amplify it. Coran was reluctant to the idea. And with good reason.

"When your father did the ceremony, it was on a much smaller scale. I beg you, to heal an entire planet it could take more energy than you posses… you may not live through it."

Allura felt a lunge in her throat. The idea of not surviving was indeed a terrifying thoughts, but the paladins were risking their lives to save the Balmara, and someone she loved once risked everything to help her. It was time Allura did the same for someone else. No matter what the risk.

"I know you're scared for me, Coran. But I must try."

With her mind made up, Allura performed the ceremony. The other Balmarans all rallied around her, pressing their hands to the surface of the glowing blue energy. A beam of light shot from the crystal and cascaded over Allura. She could feel the power transcend from her body, filling her with immense power.

She got down on her knees, and in a blinding light the entire Balmara was engulfed in a shimmering blue aura, which restored all of its energy. The sound of happy humming rang in Allura's ears as the energy flowed through all living things.

Once the glow had disappeared, Voltron managed to punch the creature into the mines, where it supposedly fell to its doom. After the ceremony was complete, Allura fell from exhaustion. Shay rushed to her aid, holding the weakened princess.

The lions all landed beside them, and the paladins all rushed out. Keith ran the fastest, panting as he rushed towards Allura, who was still being held by Shay.

"Allura? Allura, can you hear me? It's me, Keith." he reached for her hand, which felt warm, and she still had a pulse. Her eyes twitched and slowly opened, the first face she saw was that of her beloved. He smiled with relief.

"Did it work?" she asked.

Shay's brother felt the energy of the planet. He smiled. "Yes. The Balmara lives. It thanks you."

Allura smiled contently. She did it. It took a lot out of her, and felt she could barely walk on her own, but it was done. The Balmara and everyone was alive. Even the trapped Balmarans were finally free, all rising up into the surface, basking in the sunlight at long last.

Shay assisted the princess back to her feet. She nearly stumbled, only to be caught in Keith's arms. "Easy, I got ya." he said gently. Allura rested her head on his shoulder before adjusting herself. She positioned her feet right and was able to stand, but still leaned on Keith.

The ground began to tremble once more, and the monster rose once more. Thankfully, they had the newly restored Balmara on their side now, and it engulfed the beast with its crystals. More grew from the ground like flowers in spring time. A sure sign that life was fully restored to the once dying planet.

Hunk was so happy he even began rubbing the Balmara, while baby talking it as if it were a puppy. Allura couldn't help but smile in amusement.

(~)

_Keith didn't feel like going back to the Garrison. It was saturday, so he spent the entire day in the desert, exploring the place. He could barely enjoy it. The landscape was dry and barren… perfectly matching how he felt right now._

_Logically, it was stupid to get so wrapped up over a girl like this. He felt like a piece of him had just shattered. How pathetic could one get? How could anyone even so much as want experience love when at the end of the day, it really is just something you read in fairytales. Allura was right, they had gotten nowhere in all of this. He promised her he would find her, and he never could. Maybe she was right, maybe he just had to accept the fact that whatever they had would never work out. They were not only light-years apart, but for crying out loud they were two completely difference species. She was an alien princess from an advanced civilization, and he was some poor orphan earthling who nobody wanted._

_As much as he didn't want to, maybe he should just…_

_There it was again. The humming sound from before. This time, Keith followed it to the very end. Her pursued the sound all the way towards a collection of caves not too far away. Curiosity got the better of him and he walked inside._

_What he witnessed changed everything._

_He hoped it would work after what happened the night before, but after what he saw, Keith was determined to find her again. Just as he had hoped, Keith was back in the juniperberry fields, and also as expected, Allura was there, sitting sadly with her back turned, hugging her legs. Her tears had long since dried up, but her heart was still bitter and bruised._

_"Allura!"_

_The princess turned around in shock. "Keith? But-but I thought I--"_

_"You did, but that's not going to keep me away." Keith said once he had reached her, giving her that same dashing, heart melting smile._

_Allura rose to her feet, "Keith, I already told you--"_

_"I know what you said, and I'm sorry I keep interrupting you, but I think you should see this." Keith manifested some pieces of paper and handed them to Allura._

_The princess's eyes became bigger and bigger at every one she saw. "Where did you…?"_

_"From a cave, not too far from the Garrison. I was upset about what happened and wanted to clear my head, but then I felt this energy and I found these symbols in a cave." Keith's smile grew wider. "Don't you see? It's the blue lion! I don't know how, or why, but somehow, someway people saw the Blue Lion, and it's somewhere here on earth!"_

_Allura knew there was no mistaking it. The carvings were identical to the blue lion's mechanisms in every single detail. She knew Keith would never lie about something like this. Ever._

_"You said an energy led you to it?" Allura asked._

_"Yes. I couldn't explain it, but it's true."_

_Tears began to form in Allura's eyes, her hand reaching for her mouth to try and muffle the incoming sobs. However, Keith knew there was something else that could convince her. He pulled out the dagger from his pocket and unwound the bindings, revealing the strange symbol on it._

_"When did that…?"_

_"I don't know." Keith replied. "When my dad gave it to me I thought this was just some pretty decoration or something, but look at it. I don't think it's a symbol found on earth."_

_"That's because it's not." Allura stated. "From everything you've shown me, this symbol is most definitely not original to your galaxy. I'm not entirely sure what it means but…." she was cut off when all of the pieces started to fit together. "You don't think…?"_

_"I'm not sure." Keith replied. "There is still a lot about my past I don't know about. I don't know how I was able to feel that energy from the caves, or even how I was able to contact you through the Astral Plane."_

_A smile grew on Allura's face. "I finally understand." she said, her voice barely a whisper. "Before my father placed me in stasis, he connected the lions to my life-force. A life-force you are somehow able to tap into since you managed to find these symbols." she gasped, "That's why you came to me in the first place! You and I…" Allura reached for Keith's hand, as more happy tears cascaded from her eyes. "We've always been connected! You were always meant to find me! Maybe… maybe this truly was destiny's doing."_

_Now the princess was crying even more tears, tears of which Keith wiped with his fingers as he cupped her cheek._

_"I am so sorry! I had lost hope of ever being free. Of seeing my father or saving the galaxy from Voltron, but now… you've given me reason to hope again. You never gave up on me."_

_"Of course I didn't. I gave you my promise, and I intend to keep it no matter what. For so long, I've been trying to find what I was meant to do with my life. Meeting you, learning more about your world, your universe, it made me realize I want to be a part of that. I want to be a part of your galaxy. I want to fight alongside you, not out of obligation, but because I love you."_

_Allura felt her heart would burst, and more tears of joy kept on coming. "I never should have doubted you. I never should have doubted us. You've given me something I thought I had lost…. you gave me hope."_

_The two embraced, Keith rubbed Allura's back as she sobbed harder onto his shoulder. Tears came from his eyes as well. They pressed their forehead together, relishing in their embrace. Allura gripped the handle of Keith's blade._

_"I'm not sure where this came from." Allura replied. "I don't know if I can give you the answers you seek."_

_"That's okay. We can cross that bridge when we get to it. Right now, we've got some lions to find."_

_(~)_

"Once you get used to the green sky, this is actually a pretty romantic spot." Keith said. He and Allura sat on red's head, who was perched on a rock, overlooking the endless variety of crystals shimmering on the Balmara's surface.

Allura was still pretty exhausted from the rejuvenating ceremony, but the feeling of having helped save a dying planet and freeing all of its enslaved people more than outweigh the cons. Allura's hair was down, while still wearing her full body suit, while resting her head on Keith's shoulder.

"How you feeling?"

"Like I can't take two steps without tripping." Allura said, with slight bitterness, which only made Keith and herself laugh. "But, really good, actually. I'm just happy Shay and her family will no longer have to suffer under Zarkon's reign."

"I'm very proud of you, Allura. Though, promise me next time you'll let me in if you're going to do another rejuvenation ceremony that may or may not cost your life."

"I promise. Though, you're the one I should be thanking."

"Me? Why?"

"Back when you were on earth, and I was still asleep, you gave your word you would find me and help me defeat Zarkon. Even when I started to loose hope of that ever happening, you never did. I can never thank you enough."

Keith gently took Allura's hand and kissed the front like a gentleman. "I'm the one who should be thanking you."

The two shared another loving kiss, just as the run began to rise over the horizon. At the exact same time, Shay and Hunk observed the same sunset from the yellow lion.

"What is that?" Shay asked as the light showered the land.

"The promise of a new day."

(~)

After a long day, Keith was happy to get a good night sleep. His jacket was absent, having given it to Allura before she went to bed. Just as he was about to hit the hay, he felt something hard against the back of his head and pulled something from his pillow.

His blade, which still had the bindings wrapped around it.

Keith had nearly forgotten about what happened back at the hanger inside the Balmara. The way his hand was somehow able to close the hanger doors with ease. He unwounded the bindings to study the symbol on the blade.

It would appear the time had come to finally cross that bridge.


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Just because you’re sad, doesn’t mean you’ve given up hope

_"How long are you going to be gone again?"_

_Shiro chuckled. "Relax, Keith. It's only for two months."_

_"I still can't believe you're actually going on this mission to Kerberos. Not surprising, but still."_

_"I promise I'll bring you a souvenir from the Kerberos gift shop."_

_Keith rolled his eyes at Shiro's attempt at humor. It wan't particularly funny, but it was funny that he still tried at least. Keith's expression fell. "I'm really going to miss you. Things won't be the same without you around. Who am I going to talk to?"_

_"You still have Allura."_

_"Yeah, but we mainly talk at night after the day is over, and she's--" Keith quickly caught himself before he revealed too much. "In England."_

_Shiro placed a hand on his friend's shoulder. "As long as you don't get into anymore fist fights, I'm sure you'll manage alright without me."_

_The words didn't reassure Keith was well as Shiro had hoped. The idea of going two whole months without his best friend was very hard to swallow. He had come to count on Shiro on almost everything, even about his secret relationship with Allura. It took a while for him to actually get used to the fact he now, technically, had a girlfriend. Shiro himself had to force it out of him at one point, which winded up with the two of them laughing it up, and Keith blushing like mad at the confession._

_Yet, not having Shiro around to talk to, guy to guy, would be strange. At least after the day was done he would have Allura to speak to. He could always confined in her on everything else going on in his life that Keith couldn't tell Shiro about. Primarily the "Voltron" stuff._

_Shiro playfully ruffled Keith's messy black hair. "I'm gonna miss you too, buddy. Send Allura my regards, okay?"_

_"I will." Keith waved farewell as Shiro left to start getting ready for the trip, which was only a week away. With the hallways empty, Keith casually made his way out, got on his hover bike and returned to the area in which he saw the lion carvings. He took various pictures of cave paintings, as many as he possibly could. He used his flashlight and a lantern to light the cave, giving him better lighting to take the pictures with, added with the flash feature which greatly helped with the clear resolution of the images._

_Afterwards, Keith returned back to the Garrison before nightfall. It was five minutes till curfew and he snuck back into his dorm window before anyone could see. He got ready for bed, early as always, and slept with the pictures close to him. Once he was back in the Astral Plane and spread the pictures out on the table in front of them while the two sat on a couch together. Allura casually wrapped her arm around Keith's, sitting close beside him, looking in amazement at the images._

_"This was what I could gather so far." Keith said, resting his hands on his knees, while Allura still had her arms wrapped around his left arm. "They all tell a slightly different story, but they're all pretty much the exact same creature. A large blue lion."_

_"And look at these designs." Allura pointed at one of the images, tracing her fingers across the lion's head. "They're identical to that of the blue lion. No question about it." the Altean princess let out a happy laugh and snuggled closer to Keith while gripping his arm happily, which made him smile at the reaction. She then proceed to kiss his cheek. "This is amazing! All this time, the blue lion could possibly be on earth. Did you find anything regarding the other lions?"_

_"Nothing yet. I would have found more, but the Garrison is very strict about its curfew."_

_Allura groaned. "Oy, I know what you mean. My father used to go berserk if I came at least two doboshes late for my curfew." she then laughed, which in turn got Keith to laugh. However, the laughter slowly died, as found memories of her father flooded Allura's memory. "I miss him so much."_

_Keith placed his hand over Allura's to comfort her then placed a loving kiss on her forehead. "We're getting close." he said in reassurance. "You'll see him again soon enough."_

_Allura nuzzled her head on the crock of his neck. "I can't wait for you to meet him. I know he will really like you."_

_Keith's eyes widened in alarm. "Oh, well, uh." he chuckled nervously._

_Allura sat upright, folding her arms. "What?"_

_"Well, back on earth, most fathers don't always approve of their daughter's boyfriends."_

_"Why not?"_

_"It's this overprotective father thing."_

_Allura laughed. "Oh, please! I'm more than positive he won't want to interrogate the man who woke me up from a frozen slumber and discovered the whereabouts of the lions."_

_"We haven't discovered their exact location yet." Keith corrected. "If I can just scout the perimeter more, maybe get a few rock samples, dig for some kind of--" Keith stopped halfway, when Allura cupped his face and placed an eager kiss on his lips. If Keith didn't know any better, he would presume he was becoming addicted to tasting Allura's lips. As always, anything he had been saying before complexly withered away, and all of his focus landed only on the kiss._

_Once they parted, Allura and Keith pressed their foreheads together. "He will like you. Regardless of where you come from. Did Shiro think any less of us when you told him about me?"_

_"No, but to be fair, I didn't tell him the part about you being an alien princess in an Astral Plane created by advanced alien technology while on the search for five mysterious robot lions."_

_"Still, from what he did learn he was happy for you. My father will be no different. If anything, Shiro does kind of remind me of bit of my father." Allura noticed Keith's eyes had saddened. "Is he still going on the kerberos mission?"_

_"Yeah, he is." Keith looked even more crestfallen than before. "I'm really going to miss him." he said. It was now Allura's turn to comfort him. The two sat together on the couch in tranquil silence. Keith had wrapped his arm around Allura's waist, while she rested her left hand on his heart. His free hand covered hers and he showered her forehead with loving kisses, and she in turn would kiss his cheeks._

_(~)_

Allura laughed when her father recalled the memory of her favorite dress getting stained by berry juice during the Summer Berry Festival. The little princess cried for hours it took her mother, who knows how long to finally calm her down. While Allura was recovering from the rejuvenating ceremony to rescue the Balmara, she took the time to speak with the hologram of her late father. The mice were stirring her hot tea while the two conversed about their most favorite memories from Altea. The happy times before Zarkon and the his empire took over.

Allura sat on the hologram of the Juniper berry fields wearing her long pink nightgown. Normally, it had an equally long jacket to go with it, but Keith had so kindly given her his red jacket to wear instead. It started out as just a sweet gesture when the princess, surprisingly due to her exhausted state, was feeling a bit cold and Keith wrapped it around her shoulders. He allowed her to keep it, seeing her comfortable she was wearing it.

"I miss Altea so much. I miss you, Father." Allura said. Every moment she remembered that her home, everything she had ever known, was now gone, tore her heart in two. It was like a never-ending cycle. One moment, she was happy to be around those she cared about. Coran, Keith, the mice, and yes the paladins included, but as wonderful as they all were, there was no replacing the gigantic hole her home planet had left on her heart. Even when speaking to her father's conscious memories, it could never replace the aspect of actually speaking to him, face to face, with solid flesh and blood. To be able to hold him again and to feel his loving embrace once more. He was so close, and yet still so far.

"I wish it didn't have to be this way."

"I know, Allura. But as leaders we have to do what is right for our people, even if it means great sacrifice."

"I know, Father. That's what you always say."

"Besides, you are not alone in this fight. You have Coran, the paladins, your little mice friends…" Alfor gave a soft, knowing smile. "And this fine young man you have grown so fondly of." he said, rising a brow, which only made Allura blush in embarrassment.

"Yes. If it wasn't for him I would have never awoken. I wish he could have met you in person. You two would have gotten a long so well."

"I may not be with you as before, but it brings me great peace to know that you have found happiness amongst all of this chaos. I am happy for you, Allura."

"Thank you, Father."

The door behind her opened and Coran ran into the holographic paradise. "Princess, there you are. What are you doing up and about, you should be resting."

"Oh, Coran, can't I stay?" Allura pleaded softy.

"The Balmara rejuvenation ceremony took a lot out of you. Come along now, to your room." Coran said as he assisted her back up to her feet. Even standing up was a bit of a struggle. Allura hated feeling this helpless, even though it was inevitable. She hoped she would get better quickly to get back into action and defeat Zarkon. Only then would she be able to sleep soundly again.

"Get your rest, darling. I will be here for you when you're well." said King Alfor.

"I love you, Father. I'll see you soon."

Once Allura and Coran left, the chamber reverted back to its original state. The fields and Alfor now having been sucked back into the computer. The two stumbled upon Keith in the hallway.

"Hey, how was the talk with your dad?" he asked.

"Wonderful. Thanks for asking. Have you made any progress with Sendak?"

"Not yet. That's why I came looking for Coran since he's the only one who knows how the technology works."

"I will be there as soon as I take Allura back to her room." Coran said, leading Allura while holding onto her hand.

"I wish you didn't have to." Allura whined. "I hate not being able to do anything to help."

"It's only for a little while." Keith reassured while cupping her right cheek. "Besides, the sooner you rest the sooner you'll be back in full fighting shape."

Allura sighed. "Alright, fine." she smiled when Keith placed a gently kiss on her cheek… to which she instead replied by gripping his shirt and pulling him in for a full blown kiss. She smirked once they parted. "Did you seriously think I was going to leave with just a peck on the cheek?" she said with a smug grin and a wink before being escorted by Coran to her room.

All Keith could do was smile and wave from where he stood. One of the mice scurried up his shoulder and squeaked into his ear. He rolled his eyes. "Yeah, I know."

With Allura resting peacefully in her room, the rest of the paladins all gathered at the containment room where Coran adjusted the equipment to the pod that currently contained a deeply unconscious Sendak. The plan was to extract Sendak's memories in order to gain insight information on Zarkon's troop locations. This was the same technology used to King Alfor's memories into the Castle of Lions.

"So how does this work?" Pidge asked, pressing her face against the glass containment. The alien technology never ceased to amaze her.

Coran tampered with the computer as he explained, "As the memories are extracted, they're written bit by bit on individual molecules of the micro-storage strands."

"When I go, I want all the stuff in my brain stored in a giant ship." Lance said, already proudly envisioning all of his knowledge being passed down to the future generation.

"The amount of information in your brain could be stored in a paper airplane." Keith said, arms folded.

"Oh, yeah? Well, the amount of information you have, Keith, could be…"

"Yeah?"

"Uh… it's less than what I have!"

"Oh, good one, Lance!" Hunk said, but Keith was far from impressed.

The process began and the paladins awaited patiently for the information to come pouring in. Time became a blur after a while. No less than two hours and thirty minutes had gone by, and yet still no information. Either the technology took longer on an unwilling participant, or Sendak's will, even while unconscious, was incredibly strong.

Hunk had fallen asleep, Lance sat on the floor, and Pidge stood bored, while observing. Coran inspected the computer every few minutes and Shiro remained in the exact same spot from when they started, unwavering. His eyes remained glued to their slumbering prisoner, still as a statue.

Keith leaned against one of the empty pods. While he often enjoyed a little peace and quiet, it didn't serve him any good if he just stood idly by not doing anything, and who knows how long this would take. He needed to keep his mind sharp, and silently dong nothing was not helping him stay awake for this.

He stretched his arms. "Well, I can't wait around anymore. I'm going to hit the training deck." he said, making his way out. Nobody bothered to stop or even comment on it, they just allowed him to leave. Nobody even volunteered to join him. Not that it mattered, since a short while after he was gone, everyone else, minus Shiro, left to do their own thing.

Once he arrived at the training deck, he traced his hands through his messy black hair, "Huh. Kind of weird doing this by myself." he said to no one in particular.

He had grown co accustomed to training with Allura that now being here without her felt very empty. He then had the urge to want to see if she was resting as Coran had requested, but he quickly stopped himself not wanting to disturb her.

At least he could practice with the graduator, so he wouldn't be entirely alone, right?

(~)

_The day for Shiro's departure was close. Very close. Literally a day way._

_Keith and Allura were sparing once again, literally one of their favorite past times to do together, but Allura noticed that Keith's movements were slow, tentative, out of sync. She didn't need to ask to know what was bothering him._

_The two ceased their sparing and Allura tucked her stray silver hair behind her ear. She tossed her staff aside and placed a hand on Keith's shoulder._

_"This is really bothering you, isn't it?"_

_"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to--"_

_"It's okay, you don't have to apologize. I understand it's difficult to say goodbye to someone you're close to, but he's going to come back in two months. Back on Altea, a space exploit like this was a mere walk in the park. And it's to collect ice samples from a small moon in your solar system."_

_"I know, I know. It's just…" Keith paused for a moment. "What if… what if he runs into the Zarkon?" the entire room fell into silence. Allura's eyes widened in horror and realization, letting out an audible gasp. "I know it's far fetched, but there is no telling where he is, or even if he's still out there. We still don't know how long you've been asleep and--"_

_"Keith." Allura spoke and the young man stopped, his girlfriend's voice was solid and firm. "You have a very valid reason to be concerned, but from what you have told me, your planet, your entire solar system, have never witnessed anything that has looked even remotely Galra. If they had invaded or planned to, you would have known by now. You say your Garrison has the best technology your planet has to offer, which you have shown me."_

_"But what if it's not enough? Nothing I have found could help us in waking you up. Compared to your technology, ours is just as impressive as that antique clock you find at a flee market. I just wish I knew for sure."_

_Allura bit her bottom lip. "Then… maybe you should tell him the real truth."_

_"What?"_

_"Tell him about what I really am. About Zarkon and even Voltron. If he knows then he will be better prepared."_

_"Are you sure?"_

_"If it will put your mind at ease, then yes. You trust Shiro more than anyone you know, so it's only fitting that I trust him too."_

_Keith didn't know what to say in return. Hard to believe how far they had both come for Allura to trust a man she had never even met before, but she trusted Keith enough to trust Shiro. He thanked her by kissing her full on the lips._

_"I know it's not much I can do." Allura said, her voice trembling with regret._

_"No. It's more than enough."_

_(~)_

Training with the gladiator was a great workout. He managed to break a sweat and the robot gave him a run for his money. But, at the end of the day, it really wasn't the same as sparing with someone else. His mind would often drift back to Allura. How drained she looked after she had revived the Galra.

They didn't dwell on it too much but… he could have lost her. The very thought fueled his rage and he sliced right through the gladiator, causing it to disappear in a small, light blue colored explosion.

What was he thinking? Allura was the strongest person he knew, there was no way one rejuvenation ceremony would weigh her down. Still, as confident as he was in her power, and astonished as he was that she was willing to give her life for the Bamarans and their home, the thought of loosing her was still difficult to swallow. He wondered if, the time ever did call for it… would either of them be willing to make such a sacrifice?

No, he couldn't think like that now. Now was not the time to be dwelling on what could go wrong. He wiped the sweat from his bangs and told the computer to start the third training level.

With the second gladiator, Keith managed to hold his own once again, but his distracted mind caused him to fluke and he was thrown off. He managed to slide to a stop, his bayard sword still in his grip.

"End training sequence." he said, panting from exhaustion. Maybe he could find something else to occupy his mind. Fighting the gladiator now was only adding more fuel to his original worries. 

Only, even after he told the computer to shut it off, the gladiator continued to move. It marched towards Keith. The circular light on its face went from its normal blue glow to a frightening red color.

"End training sequence." Keith repeated, his voice slightly trembling in confusion. His eyes widened when the gladiator came at him with his sword, with very obvious intent to slice him in half.

"End training sequence, now!" Keith yelled, but the computer still refused to reply. The Gladiator threw Keith's weapon right out of his hand and kicked him to the ground, but the red paladin made a swift move right past him and grabbed his bayard and ran towards the door, sealing them shut. He leaned against the wall, trying to catch his breath, but the gladiator forced open the door with its sword.

The gladiator chased Keith all across the castle towards the hangers, where he heard a countdown in process, followed by slightly girlish screaming and possibly crying.

It had to be Lance.

The blue paladin screamed Keith's name, desperately calling for help. Once the countdown ended, the hanger opened and Lance was being sucked into the vast void of space, while the gladiator had Keith in a forced sword fight.

Thinking fast, Keith pushed the gladiator against the opening and pushed the nearby button on the wall with his sword, opening the hatch. The gladiator was sucked out into space and Keith managed to pull a terrified Lance back to safety before closing the doors shut. The two boys finally managed to catch their breath.

"What were you doing out there?!" Keith asked, literally yelling. He didn't know what was more horrifying, the fact one of the robots just tried to kill him, or that one of his friend was about to die in space. Frankly, both of em combined were terrifying. As if he didn't have enough worries.

"Who was that guy?!"

"He was trying to kill me?!"

"Well is he the castle? Because that's who's trying to kill me! I told Coran this place was haunted!"

At the mention of Coran, Keith's mind went straight to Allura. He quickly grabbed Lance by the jacket and dragged him out of there.

(~)

_"Shiro, I know this is going to sound crazy, but you have to believe me. I wasn't being entirely honest about Allura. She's not really from England. She's actually an alien princess from planet Altea, and she's been frozen for we're not sure how long. Her planet was invaded by a dictator named Zarkon, who was the king of the Galra, and we have a hunch he might possibly still be out there. I know you aren't really equipped to handle alien technology, but I'm telling you this so you can at least watch your back… yeah, he'll believe that, right?"_

_He asked his reflection in the bathroom mirror. He sighed and hung his head. "Even I wouldn't believe it. What can I do to prove it to him?" his eyes caught sight of the time on his phone. "Oh, no, I'm gonna be late!"_

_Keith dashed right out of his room and ran at full speed to where the three pilots were bidding their farewells before the launch. He saw Dr. Holt and his son, Matt, bidding farewell to their family. His wife took a picture of Matt and, whom Keith assumed was his younger sister. A pretty little thing with a lovely pale purple dress. Keith stopped for a moment to smile at the family moment. His heart swelled when they said their tearful farewells._

_"There you are." Shiro called out, grabbing Keith's attention. "I was afraid you wouldn't make it."_

_"Are you kidding? I wouldn't miss it."_

_A temporary silence surrounded the two. They weren't entirely sure how to say a goodbye because, in a way, they already knew how much they would miss one another, and Shiro knew how proud Keith was of him. Just as Shiro was proud of him too. He spread his arms open, welcoming Keith into a hug. He happily accepted it._

_Shiro was, literally, the closest thing he had to a brother. No, not the closest, to Keith, Shiro was his brother, heads down. Which only made this departure a lot harder. It probably wouldn't have been if he would just tell Shiro the truth._

_Should he? Would he believe him? Or would he completely dismiss it? What proof did Keith have to show Shiro he wasn't making this up? None, that's what._

_"Keith, before I go, I just want you to know something."_

_"What?"_

_"I have never been more proud of you."_

_"Really? Why?"_

_"Well, you seem… different from when I first met you. I'm not sure if it's maybe your time with Allura or not, but you not only seem happier but also… more ambitious. You always used to look lost and unsure about what you want to do. Even if you haven't told me exactly what it is you want now, I can see that whatever it is, you're aiming high for it. You've got the makings of greatness in you, Keith. I have no doubt that, if you really want it, that will be you on that rocket, soaring far beyond the stars."_

_Not only were his words meaningful, but it also made the confession even harder than it already was._

_"Shiro, I… I…" Keith hesitated. He breathed in deeply before saying, "I really apreciate that. I really do. You're right about one thing. There is something that's been on my mind for a long time, and it's something that I feel… very determined to accomplish. And, it's--"_

_"You don't have to tell me."_

_"I don't?"_

_"No. I trust that, whatever it is you're determined to accomplish, it's gonna be something that you'll never regret."_

_Keith hugged Shiro one last time before Dr. Holt called him. The two gave one final wave and Shiro boarded the rocket. Keith watched as it took off into the sky, passing the atmosphere and into worlds far beyond their land._

_(~)_

Allura had woken up to an unusual sight. The hologram of her father had come to visit her in her room. Confused at first, but Allura accepted her father's desire to come and see her. It felt like going back in time where she was young and ill, and her father would keep her company. She could already feel her fever withering.

Alfor took Allura back to the holographic chamber. The princess blew on the juniperberry flower, admiring its petals blowing in the wind.

"Altean flowers are the most beautiful." Alfor said, watching the petal float off like a slow breeze.

"It is sad that I will only see them in my dreams. But when I awake, my memories are like these spores. Scattered in the wind."

"Altea is not merely a dream, Allura. It still exists."

"How?" Allura asked. How can Altea still be real? Oh, but how she wished it still could be.

"The Altean flower, you can see it. You can touch it." Alfor handed Allura another flower, which she happily took. The idea of being able to be surrounded by a real field, be underneath a real sky, and breath the real Alteans winds was everything she wanted.

"I can take you there. I can take you home."

Allura stared at her father in confusion. "You can?"

"Would you like to go home?"

Home… Altea… with her father. There was nothing her heart yearned for more. The very idea was planted into her brain like a small seed, which rapidly grew and grew, enwrapping her consciousness with brambles of the possibility of returning home.

"But, what about Keith? And the others?"

"They can be with you as well. Picture it. You and your beloved, sitting in the real fields of Altea. Sharing your world with him. Free from this war, free from Zarkon. All of us, together at last."

"Together…" Allura muttered softly, her eyes tearing up. The brambles in her mind gained a tighter grasp on her sense of reality. "Yes. I want to go back to Altea, father."

"Then come with me, and I will show you the way."

While King Alfor led Allura down to the ballroom to relive even more memories of the past, Keith and Lance bumped into Coran.

"Where are you two heading in such a hurry?"

"Coran, where's Allura?"

"She's still in her room, I just checked on her not too long ago. She's sound asleep."

"Oh, good." Keith said in relief.

"Yeah, okay, while you're worried about your girlfriend, I was almost ejected into space!"

The trio heard screaming coming from the lion's hangers and rushed inside, seeing Pidge and Hunk on the floor, sounding as if they had fallen. The two explained that they were floating in zero gravity with no way of escaping, while Lance yelled about being blasted into space, and Keith told them of his near death experience with the gladiator. Coran theorized that the corruption from Sendak's Galra crystal could be effecting the Castle's system.

It was then Keith remembered Shiro was still not present and the group hurried to where they had originally left him. Watching over Sendak. However, they saw the black paladin having some kind of panic attack and had ejected him right out of the ship, while still in the pod, unconscious.

An alarm went off, signaling that the ship was starting a wormhole jump. There was only one person on the ship who could create wormholes.

The team hurried towards the control room, seeing Allura in her nightgown, still wearing Keith's jacket, commanding the castle ship and going into the wormhole she had just created.

"Allura, what's going on?" Keith asked. Something didn't feel right. When she turned around to face him, she looked strangely happy. Content even. Everything was the same, but her voice, it was almost as if she were in some kind of half-trance. Half-aware, yet half-asleep.

"We're going to Altea." she said, in an state of calm, content bliss. "We're going home. My father is taking us."

Keith's first instinct was to ran up and grab Allura by the shoulders to snap her out of it. The others followed right behind him with no hesitation, but were stopped when holograms of King Alfor's face appeared on all sides of the screen.

"Stay away from my daughter!" he shouted in vengeful furry, something the still half-slumbering Allura was completely unaware of.

"I don’t think he's very found of you yet, Keith." Hunk said, already trembling at the threateningly terrifying Altean king.

"Allura, snap out of it!" Keith cried out.

"The crystal must have corrupted King Alfor's artificial intelligence." Coran said. "It's taking over!"

Once the castle reached the other side of the wormhole what awaited for them on the other side was not Altea or any other planet, but a star. A very large star and it was about to explode. The Corrupted King Alfor was leading them right to it.

But all Allura could see was her beloved Altea, perfectly preserved and as breathtaking as it had always been. Keith started banging his fists onto the force field that surrounded Allura, keeping her trapped beside her father. He didn't care how the electrical currents hurt his hands, he kept on hitting, calling out to her.

"Allura! Allura, wake up! Can you hear me?" he pounded his fist onto the force field again, this time getting her attention.

Allura turned her head, giving him a sideways glance. A glimmer of something sparkled in her eyes. "Keith?"

"Allura, listen to me! This isn't real! Sendak's crystal corrupted your father's AI! You can't listen to a word he says!" he pounded his fist again when it seemed like he was loosing her attention. "Allura!"

Allura's vision was plagued with the image of the juniperberry fields, complete with the mountains and the small winged animals of the land. She picked one of the flowers, entranced by its beauty. The image was fractured when a silhouette of someone she knew started to flicker before her.

"Allura, please! You have to listen to me!" the voice came off rather static, but she recognized it all the same.

Another voice was heard, the voice of her caretaker. "This isn't real!" Coran shouted. "Wake up!"

"Is this real?" Allura asked, acting as if she didn't catch what Coran had just said.

"Of course it is real, daughter." Alfor said, "That flower your touching is real."

"Smell it!" Keith cried out. "Smell the flower!"

Allura did so, expecting to inhale the calming aroma of her favorite flower in the world… but all she could smell was metal and the skin of her hand. There was nothing remotely resembling the smell of the Altean Flower. None whatsoever.

The brambles which had gripped her mind began to split and crumble as the image around her faded and the scorching intensity of the star finally brought her back to reality.

"That's not Altea!"

"When that star goes supernova it'll destroy the entire system!" Pidge said. "Allura, you must reset the course and get us out of here!"

Allura placed her hands on the controls, but was forced back when an electrical current strike her hands. She cried out in pain and was forced out of the barrier, landing into Keith's arms. Alfor manifested and took the controls himself.

"Father, please! I beg you to turn this ship around! If we don't do it soon we will all perish!"

"I know. That is my intention."

"What? Why?!"

"Don't you see, dear daughter? Zarkon can never be defeated. He's been ruling for ten thousand years."

"But we must continue to fight!"

"Fight for what? It is all over for Altea. You don't have to live a lifetime of war. You can be with me and the rest of your people."

"Father, please! The paladins and I can still stop Zarkon! Somewhere in there you must want that to happen!"

The image of her father began to flicker. One moment he was standing still and proud, the next he was crunching down as if he were in pain. His voice called out once more, this time sounding more like his normal compassionate self.

"Allura, my AI has been corrupted! You must disconnect my power source--" his image flickered again, reverting back to the terrifyingly calm stranger who had bewitched her a moment ago by using her most precious memories against her.

"We can smell the juniperberries every morning, just like we used to. Remember how much you loved that."

Allura hung her head. "I do remember." she said sadly, but she was not falling for those lies again. She turned to the others, "I've got to get into the AI chamber to disconnect my father's power source manually."

"But that means… loosing King Alfor forever!" Coran said.

Judging by the look on her face, Allura was well aware of the risk. Just as well, the shimmer in her eyes gave a clear indication how she could feel her heart breaking at the thought of loosing her father all over again.

"Allura?" Keith didn't know what else to say. The princess gave her most stern look, trying to suppress the pain she was feeling.

"Get to your lions. I need you to slow the castle's descent into the star." Allura said as she made her way towards the chamber and the lions did as they were told. Each one pushing the castle back with all of their might as the star grew closer and closer.

Allura arrived at the chamber, where the corrupted King Alfor once again pleaded with her to not go through with it, while her true father kept intersecting, pleading with her to do so, knowing it was the only way to save them all.

"If you want to live, we must say goodbye."

Goodbye… how many times would she have to say it? It hurt every single time.

"I'm sorry about this father." Allura tapped on the controls and the image of her father disappeared. A pod rose from the ground, where a spiraling orb with intertwining mystical floating mist surrounded it. These were her father's knowledge and memories. Reaching out her hand towards the orb send a soft radiant shock wave that engulfed the room in a pitch black blanket. Allura was standing in a vast void, surround by nothing by precious memories of her childhood. The sound of laughter filled her ears and she could barely move.

While Altea was indeed beautiful, what took her breath away the most were the images of her younger self, carefree and adventurous, beside her loving and courageous father. Her hero. Her best friend. The one who would happily grant her the moon and stars if she so asked, not that she ever needed it. His love was all she could ever ask for. If she went through with this, all of these memories would be gone… forever.

"No." she told herself, shaking her head. "This is not real. This is all in the past." Allura ran forward, narrowly dodging more flooring orbs of past moments. Some happy, some sad, some funny, some scary, but regardless, they were her past. Her life from before. She finally stopped at the image of her father holding a newborn baby princess. Never had her father looked so happy.

She knew in her heart this had to be done, but at the same time, her heart didn't want to let this go. She had been alone, yearning for this kind of happiness again. The fact that all of this would soon be gone for good was enough to bring her to tears. The image of the memory shifted into that of her father, once again, pleading with her to stop this before it was too late.

"You don't have to fight Allura. You don't have to make this sacrifice."

The tears stopped. She now knew she would rather have her father be remembered as the hero he was rather than stay with this wicked version of him who only wanted her to think of herself. She couldn't be selfish. Allura may have had to bid her home farewell, but that doesn't mean she would sit back and watch the same happen to others. That's why she wanted to help the Balmara's, because she how it felt to loose everything. She now understood what sacrifice meant.

It meant placing the needs of others above your own. Something her father had taught her, something Shiro had taught Keith… and something they brought out of each other.

"Goodbye, Father." With a heavy heart, Allura embraced her father one last time. His image began to crack, and his real voice spoke to her once more.

"Goodbye, Allura." Alfor hugged her in return right before his body became engulfed in a blinding light. The bod had broken and all of his memories flew out into the air, fading away into the darkness, never to be seen again.

The castle reverted back to normal and the lions returned to their hangers, with the castle soaring into the wormhole right at the very moment when the star exploded. Once all was quiet once again, Allura finally allowed her exhaustion to take over.

She sat on the floor, with Keith wrapping a comforting arm around her while she rested her head on his shoulder while Coran sat on the opposite side.. As strong as she demonstrated herself to be in front of the paladins, she always felt at ease with showing a bit of her vulnerability when with Keith. With good reason.

"Allura, I'm so sorry about your dad." he said, his voice always as soft and caring whenever he spoke to her.

"We all are." Hunk said. He and the other paladins all shared her grief. Shiro even placed a hand on her shoulder, giving her a warm sympathetic smile. Allura returned the gesture.

"Thank you. But that was not my father." Allura's expression once again turned hard and fierce as she stood back up. "The real King Alfor was a great man, and a great father. He may not be here with us anymore, but his dream lives on through all of us. And his legacy is Voltron.”

(~)

_"You didn't tell him? Why?"_

_"I don't know, if I did he would have thought I was crazy or trying to be funny."_

_Keith and Allura sat on the front porch of his desert shack, discussing about what had happened before the launch._

_"Maybe I'm over reacting. Like you said, we would have known if the Galra had come to earth, or were planning on it. Guess all of this talk about Zarkon and Voltron and stuff just made me get a bit paranoid."_

_"I think I'm the one at fault for that." Allura said, looking away in regret, only to have Keith remove his jacket and wrap it around her shoulders. She didn't know why he did it, but it was a sweet gesture none the less._

_"Not at all." he said, smiling. "Shiro's a big boy, he can take care of himself. Besides, it's not like I'll be bored with him away. I've got something to keep me occupied."_

_"Yes… we can continue our search for the Voltron lions."_

_"Okay, make that two things."_

_Allura's cheeks turned red as she and Keith snuggled closer together. Maybe Shiro being gone wouldn't be the worst thing. After all, he wasn't wrong when he said Keith had something he was aiming more. He was aiming to finding Allura and defeating Zarkon._

_Two months had past, but rather than Shiro returning home, Keith's word shattered._

_It was all over the news. The Kerberos rocket had crashed due to pilot error. Nobody survived._

_The entire Galaxy Garrison held a memorial in honor of the deceased pilots. Words were said and tears were shed, but Keith probably cried the most, and he wasn't even with the rest of the crowd. He cried silent tears away from everyone else who placed their flowers and handles near the photographs. He even saw Dr. Holt's family there as well, dressed in black, crying more than everybody else._

_Only once everyone was gone did Keith finally approach the picture of his old best friend. At least he didn't perish in the hands of Zarkon, but that didn't make the pain go away. Not in the slightest. With everyone else gone, he broke down and cried in front of the image. He didn't scream, he didn't shout, he just cried, weeped and sob._

_Afterwards, he told Allura everything. The princess mourn alongside him. She allowed him to cry on her shoulder. She couldn't help but cry with him. As someone who had been separated from her family, she knew his pain better than anyone._

_Several days had passed, and the news was still hard for Keith to deal with. If people didn't think he was distant before, this time the students sometimes forgot he was still attending the academy. He was so quiet they often didn't even acknowledge his presence unless he walked right by them or accidentally bumped into him._

_Never the less, Keith did his best to carry onwards. Shiro's words echoed in his mind one day while he was exploring the caves with the mysterious markings._

_"You've got the makings of greatness in you, Keith. I have no doubt that, if you really want it, that will be you on that rocket, soaring far beyond the stars."_

_A single tear rolled down his eyes and a small smile formed on his face. He would not let Shiro's death go in vain. He would continue searching for answers. He will find Allura, and they will defeat Zarkon together. Shiro may be gone, but his memory will live on through Keith._

_Of that, he would make sure of._

_(~)_

It was probably best to leave Allura alone right now. That's what everybody told him. Yet, the look on her face would not leave his mind. He gently tapped on the metal doors, which slid open at the princess's command. Keith entered her chambers, seeing her still in her nightgown and wearing his jacket.

Silence filled the space between them until the princess finally broke down and weeped in his arms. Keith held her close, allowing her to let out all of her pent up anger and sorrow.

"That was the worst thing I ever had to do!" she cried out. Thankfully, the doors were closed so nobody else could hear her. "I didn't want to say goodbye!"

"I know. I know." he said softly while rubbing her back.

"I hated having to do it. But I knew it was the only way."

"It's okay, you don't have to explain it."

Allura wiped away her tears with her wrist, while placing one hand on Keith's shoulder. "No, you don't get it. I knew it was the right thing to do, what he would have wanted even for all our sakes, but a selfish part of me wanted to him to stay. I wanted things to go back to the way they used to be." She sobbed harder, "But I know that can never happen! I didn’t want to have to say goodbye to my father forever again.”

Keith wiped her tears with his thumbs, and cupped her face to stare into her eyes. "You're right. You can never go back to the way things were, and I understand how hard that is to accept. When I thought Shiro had died, I would have given anything to go back in time and prevent it. But... some things are just beyond our control. Allura, you're not wrong for wanting your family back. We all want that. As much as it hurts, sometimes we have to give up what we want to do the right thing. Most people wouldn't have the courage to do what you did." Keith caressed her cheek and kissed her forehead.

"It's okay to feel sad. You loved him and he loved you too, enough that he left the future to you. Just promise me you won't lose hope."

Allura managed to smile softly. "Keith, just because I'm sad right now doesn't mean I've given up hope."

Allura deepened the once innocent kiss, and Keith did not hesitate to kiss her back with the same amount of passion she was giving. What once was a slow, innocent kiss was starting to transcend into a fast, fervid act of affection. Light moans were heard and their bodies were pressed together with Allura pulling Keith even closer than he already was with her arms wrapped around his neck, and Keith leaned in further, opening his mouth to welcome hers.

Their moral sense eventually won over and they both willed themselves to stop, their faces as red as Keith's jacket, or even his lion while panting from the intense kissing.

"I'm sorry." Keith said, feeling embarrassed at his action.

"It's fine." Allura replied, tucking a stray strand of hair behind her ear. "I think we both just need to get some sleep. It's been a rough day for all of us."

"Yeah. Good night." Keith placed a gentle kiss on the lips.

"Good night." Allura watched as Keith left her room, still feeling lightheaded over what had just happened. She and Keith were normally very self respecting people, but the experience with her father, and the reality of the stakes of their mission just weighted down on her like a pile of bricks at that point that she just… she wanted to hold on tight.

Allura pulled all her hair back, her entire face feeling as warm as that star that had nearly blown them all up hours ago, while whipping away some of the sweat from her neck. After everything she had been through today, she did not want to place any more stress on herself.

Meanwhile, Keith was feeling just as lightheaded and rather distorted from what just happened. He shook his head, trying to snap himself back to reality. Keith had to remind himself that nothing was going to happen to Allura. Though, the realistic side of him was still worried about being proven wrong.

No, he couldn't be selfish about this. Allura had gone through too much today, he had to let her rest and take it easy. That was what he could do for her right now. Once she was back to her full strength, they would take the fight to Zarkon and put an end to his Empire once and for all.

… right after a cold shower.


	11. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The paladins prepare for their first showdown with Zarkon. It will be the biggest challenge of their lives. 
> 
> But what will they be willing to sacrifice?

The next morning, Allura's mind was as clear as a cloudless day. While the events from yesterday still lingered in her mind, as well as in her heart, she managed to compose herself and get out of bed. She was back to full strength once again, and good thing too. If she had to spend another day in bed doing nothing she was sure she would loose her mind. After getting herself ready for the day, the doors to her bedroom slid open, and the princess let out a startled yelp when she saw her boyfriend standing before her, with one fist risen up, no doubt an attempt to knock on her door before entering. His eyes were wide in alarm and he quickly reeled his hand back, placing it behind his back.

"Oh, g-good morning, Keith." Allura said, her cheeks tainted red. They had not spoken since last night, and she feared she had unintentionally given him the wrong message.

At the same time, Keith was worried on what Allura might think. Had he given her the wrong message last night? He was only trying to respect her boundaries. Just because they were in a relationship didn't mean Keith had some kind of "free pass" to get away with things. He had far too much respect for her to do that.

"Hey." he finally said. In his head, he wanted to slap himself. He really should have thought this through more.

The two stood there in awkward silence. Keith's eyes darting back and forth, while Allura fiddled with the side of her long skirt, bitting her bottom lip, averting his gaze. Once they finally gained the courage to speak, they both opened their moths at the exact same time.

"I wanted to talk abou--"

"I wasn't trying to--"

Keith and Allura, respectively, said in unison, which only made the air around them feel even more awkward. This had never happened to them before, at least not in the days in which after they cemented their relationship.

"You first." they both said in unison, once again.

"No, you!" Keith quickly said, hoping to get the words out before she did.

Allura took in a deep breath before speaking. Her hands were clapped together in front of her, her gaze to the floor. "I'm sorry about last night. I fear I gave you the wrong message. I was just really emotional last night and, after what I had to do, I…" she wasn't sure if she wanted to continue explaining. The way the words came out it almost made her sound like she was being selfish.

"Allura, you don't have to apologize." Keith said, as always, speaking in that soft, empathetic tone which he always used solemnly for her. Wether it was a conscious act or not.

"But, I was the on who--" Allura stopped herself again. "Keith, I just want you to know that, I would never, ever take advantage of you like that."

"I know. I would never take advantage of you either. I just… I don't want to lose you."

Allura finally amped up the confidence to look him in the eyes. "Who said you would loose me?"

"After you saved the Balmara, I realized there was a high probability where you wouldn't make it, but you took the risk anyway. I know why you did it, and I am proud of you, but…" Keith hung his head, his bangs partly hiding his eyes. "After it was over, it dawned on me… what if you hadn't made it. Then, it got me thinking about this war. You always say that this is all bigger than any one of us, and I completely understand." his fists clenched tightly and they trembled. "You made to make such a huge sacrifice yesterday, and I know it was hard for you. I don't blame you for not wanting to do it, and--"

Keith was cut off when Allura wrapped her arms around his torso, hugging him close to her body, while resting her head on the crock of his neck. Keith's fists slowly loosened and he placed his hands over Allura's back.

"I understand. I truly do." she said. "But Keith, just because we must make hard choices, it doesn't mean what we have isn't important."

"I don't want to let go." Keith said, speaking into her ear.

"Nor do I." Allura's voice started to crack. "Whatever happens, whatever choices we need to make… let's face them together. Okay?"

As frightening as the unsure future was, Keith knew that worrying about it now would cloud them towards the bigger picture. Both he and Allura understood the risks their mission carried, and they were willing to accept it.

But, whatever choices they would make, they promised to make them together. While it was noble of both of them to make sacrifices for others, there really was no harm in the two of them having something to hold on to.

After everything Allura had been through, she deserved it.

Keith wiped Allura's tears from her eyes and kissed her forehead. "And, I promise, I will never pressure you into anything you're not ready for." he said.

Allura blushed. Despite his loner tendencies, Keith could be quite the gentleman, even if he himself didn't know it. "Thank you. Besides, if anything else is to happen between us, it should be at the right moment."

Keith breathed a sigh of relief. "Glad we worked that out."

Allura giggled and intertwined their fingers. "Come on, the others are no doubt waiting for us.

(~)

_A full year had passed since Shiro and the Holt's untimely death. While not having Shiro at the Garrison was hard enough when he first left for Kerberos, knowing he would never walk the halls or pat him on the back on a job well done again was just painful for Keith to even talk about. It took a while for him to openly say it to Allura, even though she already understood his struggle. Keith didn't need to go until full on explanation as to why. After all, Allura had been separated from her people for a long period of time. Or at least, that's what she assumed it was. Her heart still hoped her father and Altea were still there, but deep down she knew that rationally that may not be the case. Still, she wouldn't still be alive if there wasn't a chance._

_The Princess did her best to help Keith through his grief, but while he felt more at ease and relaxed in the Astral Plane with Allura, in the waking world was another story._

_"Keith, would you slow down?" one of the cadets said, tampering with the computer of the simulator. "This is a rescue mission not a car race!"_

_The young man ignored his classmate, in fact, he didn't listen to any of their requests. Keith was known for his top notch piloting skills, he was able to swiftly move the simulator pass the many victual obstacles in his way. However, he didn't really go too easy on the speed either. He ignored everything his engineer and comspec said, and while Keith managed to ace the simulator test, his performance was unacceptable._

_"I got us through, didn't I?" Keith snapped back at the Commander. "I did exactly as was expected."_

_"Yes, you did. But by refusing to listen to the rest of your crew, you nearly cost them their lives! In your hurry to get to your location, you completely ignored your mechanic's warnings about the thrusters being damaged when you narrowly dodged that archway. If this were a real mission, you would have had little chances of returning back to base, placing yourself, your crew and everyone else in danger! You better put your act together, or I won't be so generous next time."_

_Keith didn't flinch at all the whole time the Commander was speaking. He took in all of his words, but he couldn't get himself to care much for improving himself. Once class was over, Keith retreated back to the desert, where he did more investigating on the lion carvings. He continued to feel the powerful energy calling out to him. It wasn't exactly a voice, but rather a feeling. Not a happy, sad, or angry feeling, but almost like a vibration. Like a wordless melody, and a rhythmless tune. It was more of a soft growl, or a roar. No matter how hard he searched, digging into small tunnels, taking as many pictures as he could, Keith just couldn't find the source of the energy._

_Sadly, he couldn't continue his investigation because he had to return for curfew. He dusted the dirt off his his shoes and arrived right before the sun had completely set over the horizon. Following his common routine, Keith climbed up the fire escape and climbed back into the window of his dorm room._

_On the wall was a map of the desert, where Keith pinned all kinds of pictures of the caves and symbols. He marked varies locations on the map, one specific area being circled with the words "energy source". Whenever he went out he would cover it up with a blanket. Since nobody really entered his room, it was rather pointless, but Keith wasn't taking any chances._

_That night, he met Allura back in the Altean Castle, where he showed her all the new pictures, and even his map. Allura used her reality warping abilities she had in the Astral Plane to levitate the symbols from the pictures, glowing blue as she studied them. More images of Altean symbols and pages she remembered from history books floated around her. Her eyes narrowed, focused on examining the images. Once she was done, she sighed._

_"What is it?" Keith asked._

_"These symbols. They don't resemble anything you have on earth." Allura said._

_"Are they Altean?"_

_"Some of them are, while others resemble more the native symbols from planet Nalquod, where the original Blue Paladin resided. But, that planet was destroyed when the Galra attacked. Along with the other paladin's home worlds." Allura's head hung in sadness. She quickly composed herself before continuing. "My father no doubt sent the lions into the farthest regions of the universe with specific planets in mind. The blue lion is undoubtedly on your planet. Since it's farthest away from my solar system, my father believed it was the safest location from Zarkon."_

_"But why earth specifically"_

_"The Blue Lion is closely associated with water, and you say your planet's surface is covered in seventy one percent of water, correct?"_

_Keith nodded. "So, is there a possibility the other lions are here too? You said the lions are associated with the elements, right? Fire, earth, wind, water and forest."_

_"I can't say for sure, but it could be possible. So far, all of these discoveries are of the Blue Lion. There doesn't seem to be any other indication of the others."_

_"At least we've made some progress. We know for sure that your father send the lions where Zarkon wouldn't find them, and that these markings aren't from earth."_

_"My father did speak of the lion's intelligence. That they can communicate with someone on a telepathic level. Normally this was with the lions and their bonded paladins, but there have been occasions in which the lions could reach out to others even who aren't their paladins. It doesn't happen very often, at least from what my father had told me. There is still much I don't fully comprehend about the lions yet."_

_"There has to be something else. Your father build the lions from that comment, didn't he? He knows how they work better than anyone."_

_"Yes, but there was still much he didn't tell me." Allura huffed, folding her arms. "One of them being as to why he kept me frozen in a cryopod rather than form Voltron to defeat Zarkon."_

_"But even if you still had Voltron, Zarkon wasn't the Black Paladin anymore. There was no way you could have formed it to begin with."_

_"I know." Allura sighed. "I just didn't want to give up. I refuse to give up."_

_Keith walked over to her, taking her hands into his. "And we won't." he said softly. "We're getting closer, I can feel it." he cupped Allura's cheek, causing her cheeks to turn red. "I'm not going to stop until we find the lions… I won't stop until I find you."_

_Allura thanked Keith by kissing him full on the lips. "It'll be worth the wait."_

(~)

"Somewhere inside Sendak's memories we should be able to find the inside information that gives us the key to take down Zarkon." Allura said, already smiling with anticipation. Everyone loomed over Pidge, who was typing at fast speed on her keyboard, analyzing the memories they had required from the unconscious Sendak.

"I don't think your father would approve of you searching through an enemies' memories." Coran said.

"I know, but we have to do everything we can to defeat Zarkon."

"Once we learn all his weaknesses we can drive up to his front door and challenge him to a fight. Winner gets the universe!" Lance said, excitedly pounding his fists together, thinking about him standing on top of Zarkon with a number of alien ladies fawning over him, holding a flag with his face on it, and all of the paladins (including a reluctant Keith) giving him a high five.

Everyone else gave Lance a deadpan stare, to which he hardly noticed due to being lost in a daydream.

"Anything good yet, Pidge?" Shiro asked, reverting everyone's attention back to the screen. The surface of Pidge's glasses reelecting the light off of the Altean blue screen.

"We were only able to savage bits and pieces." said Pidge.

Keith sighed, "We something to work with. Right now we don't even have a decent map of the empire."

"Who needs a map?" Lance said, folding his arms, "After ten thousand years of conquering I could probably fire my bayard at like at any random point in space and hit a Galra ship."

"Zarkon's been building his empire for ten thousand years." Shiro said. "We're not going to tear it down overnight with five inexperienced pilots and one support ship. Hitting him where he lives would be a huge mistake."

After a while of seating, Pidge finally found something within Sendak's memories and the information she had gathered from his shattered ship back on Arus. Something called a Universal Station. Coran pulled up the location of this Station on the screen, yet their Altean long range censors were unable to locate the Station.

"Maybe he remembered it wrong." Keith suggested.

"Or maybe we just stumbled across a top secret base in Sendak's memories." Pidge suggested.

"Only one way to find out. Let's go take a look." Allura said, her eyes focused and her tone was both stern and fierce. They had something to go on, so they shouldn't waste anymore time.

After a few hours of traveling by several smaller planets, the team arrived at a location in space where a Galra Base was hovering in between two planets. The reason they couldn't locate it before was due to the gravitational pull between the two planets, which rendered it nearly invisible for Coran's scanners to locate.

"This place must handle shipments from all over the Galra empire." Shiro said, looking at the numerous Galra ships that kept coming in and out of the platforms of the base.

"If this is just some big airport where shipments come and go why is it hidden?" Pidge asked.

"There must be more to this than we see."

"Then we better go down to take a look." Allura said, clicking on the screen to showcase a holographic image of one of the base's towers. "We'll need to enter here. The central control building."

"I'm sorry, Allura, did you say "we"?" Keith asked in curious surprise.

"Yes, I'm going with you."

Lance shook his head, "Uh, I don't think this is the ideal place for a date." he said.

Allura simply rolled her eyes. "I've traveled the Galra transportation hubs many timeswith my father before the war began. I know more about them than any of you."

"Princess, I would rather you stay here." Coran said.

"I'm a part of this fight against Zarkon as much as anyone. I'm going." Allura replied fiercely, yet with an aura of regal composure. "Does anyone have a problem with that?"

Keith simply shrugged, "I'm all for it." he said with a confident grin, which in turn made Allura smile in satisfaction. Of course he would be the first to agree to this, Keith has seen first hand that this princess can more than hold her own in a fight. If anything, they should be more concerned for the Galra rather than her.

As for the other paladins… well, they couldn't even amp up the courage to even say their thoughts in the matter into one word. Coran started to sweat and turned to Shiro, who simply shrugged his shoulders just as Keith did.

"Fine. Suit up."

Coran flinched in terror. It was his job to look after Allura, and now she was going to join the paladins on a dangerous mission. Worse than that, he was outvoted six to one. On top of that, the young princess was just as strong-willed as her late father, so arguing with her was futile.

The team set their plan into motion, with Pidge taking them in with the green lions, using its cloaking device and Coran using the technology of the castle to keep them undetected from the Galra workers inside. The team made their way inside, with Shiro knocking out the Galra soldier in charge, and the rest of the team taking down the Galra robots. One came at Allura, to which she easily dodged the incoming punch, grabbed its arm and body slammed it into the wall without breaking a sweat. While Keith had seen her raw strength first hand, this was a first for the rest of the paladins.

Lance, Hunk, Pidge, even Shiro were wide eyed and surprised to see this medium sized princess take down a taller Galra robot and break apart its limbs so easily.

"That's some girl." Shiro said, smiling at Keith, who he too was smiling proudly.

"Tell me about it."

(~)

_The next day, Keith was in a slightly better mood. The Commander screaming into his face, or the other students whispering whatever about him didn't help much, but given what today was, he was able to brush them aside enough to tolerate it until the day was done. During lunch, Keith had retreated to his dorm room to tamper with his laptop. He still couldn't believe he was doing this, and after all this time, but after everything that had happened with Shiro and the quest for the lions, he thought maybe they both deserved to have at least one day where they could just celebrate and be happy._

_Happy… he had subconsciously known this but, this was one of the rare time where he openly admitted it to himself. For the first time in many years, Keith was happy. Not just, "glad he got the last slice of pizza on pizza night" happy, or the "You did a great job out there" praise from Shiro happy but… legitimately, butterflies in your stomach, the world looks so much brighter kind of happy._

_He used to think that kind of joy was kind of corny and too idealistic for him. Maybe it was just the joy of the day, or maybe the look on Allura's face once she--_

_The bell rang again, signaling the start of class. Keith quickly closed his laptop, happy that he was productive with his time there._

_Just four more classes to go._

(~)

While Pidge was downloading the information, another Galra soldier contacted the central control. The paladins all hid from view, and Hunk managed to trick him by pupating one of the Galra robots. It surprisingly worked and the Galra only waved before shutting off the screen. The paladins gave a sigh of relief.

When Pidge looked up the information she had downloaded, she regrettably informed them that there wasn't anything of value to them. Just as Shiro suggested they return to the castle, Allura asked Pidge where the next ship was heading. The same ship that had contacted the control room.

"It's scheduled to be here for about half an hour then head off to central command."

"That's where they have the information we need." Allura said, standing back up. "And I'm going to sneak aboard that ship and get it for us."

"What?!" Lance exclaimed, "No way!"

"Yeah, I'm with Lance on this one." Keith said, much to his own dismay. "How are you going to get in?"

Allura only smiled as she removed her helmet. "I'm going to walk right through the front." she said. Seeing their still confused expressions, Allura closed her eyes and confused. Right before their eyes, Allura's skin color changed from brown to the same shade of purple as the Galra and her body began to grow in scale until she was towering over all of them. Keith only stared in wide eyed amazement, while everyone else just looked baffled.

"How the heck did you do that?" Hunk asked, piercing through the stunned silence.

"Alteans are a chameleon-like people who can blend in with the local populations. It's the ability that's made us great explores and diplomats throughout our history."

Keith chuckled in amusement. "Just when I think you couldn't get anymore intimidating." he said.

Allura placed her hand over her heart, her cheeks turning even redder. "Awww."

"So, can you turn into like a ballon?" Lance asked.

"How many different colors can you bet at once?" Pidge asked, already fascinated.

"Aren't you afraid to rip your pants?" Hunk asked.

Allura should have expected this kind of reaction from them. Still, she politely answered their questions. "No. just one at a time, and I will need a change of costume." she said, turning towards the unconscious Galra. "I can use his uniform as a disguise."

So far, it sounded like a full proof plan. Allura would have the perfect attire, and she knew where to get the information. Everything seemed to be falling into place until…

"I can't let you go in there alone." Shiro said, taking Allura by surprise.

"Excuse me? I do not need your permission."

Keith looked at his leader in confusion. Allura seemed to have this well at hand. Shiro must have a reason.

"It's too dangerous. I'm going in with you?"

"You will stand out like a shefariaks nose." Allura protested.

"You're going to need that nose, Princess." Pidge said, holding up Shiro's robotic arm. "Shiro's hand is made from Galra tech. It's the only thing we have that will allow us to interface with their system. I can monitor the download remotely from here."

And now, Keith felt like a complete moron. Of course there would be a reason for Shiro to tag along. He was just bummed out that during their first mission with Allura, he had to stay put instead of joining her in battle. Still, he knew there were far more important matters to focus on, so he quickie brushed those thoughts aside.

Allura, though rather reluctantly, allowed Shiro to come with, coming up with the idea to hide him in a crate, pretending to be boarding Galra tech into the ship after Keith questioned how they were going to get Shiro on board.

Once Allura had properly changed into the Galra uniform, hiding behind a pillar, Keith approached her. "To be honest, if there was anyone I would have loved to be at my side during this, I would have preferred it to be you." Allura confessed.

"Believe me, I wish that too. But Shiro and Pidge are right. If you're going to get the intel, Shiro is your best bet."

"I just hope this doesn't blow our cover."

"Don't worry. Just stick to the plan and watch each other's backs. You've got this."

Allura smiled in gratitude and surprised the paladin by effortlessly lifting him up to meet her gaze, and placed a loving kiss on his lips. Keith cupped her cheeks as the kiss deepened. Once they parted, Allura lowered him back down before placing back her helmet and prepared to commence their plan.

Shiro and Keith clapped hands. "I'll make sure she comes back safely." the older paladin promised. Keith nodded in gratitude and Shiro left with Allura inside a large container with Galra tech.

The group watched from above as the two made their way into the ship, while several more Galra moved these yellow glowing containers out. Keith eyed them suspiciously. Something felt very off about those things. It was like some kind of golden radiation. While Pidge tried to get the Galra robot to spill more information, Keith kept close tabs on the containers. A mysterious cloaked figure arrived, standing before them. His very presence set alarms going off in Keith's head.

"Whatever's happening here requires the base to be kept secret." Keith concluded. "Must have something to do with that scary dude."

"Or he could just be into the spooky, cloaked look." Lance said. "Maybe it's a Galra fashion trend."

"I doubt it." Keith's eyes never left the cloaked figure. Every bone in his body was telling him that, whoever this was, was not somebody they should take likely. While Shiro and Allura were gathering the intel, Keith could be gathering some extra information on whatever it was Zarkon was planning. Whatever it takes to bring this empire down.

"I'm gonna go check it out." Keith turned around and made his way towards the doors.

"How about we just lay low and you don't blow out cover?" Lance suggested, which fell upon deff ears. Lance tried again, three times already to stop Keith, but the Red Paladin was already out the door.

At the same time, Shiro and Allura snuck into the corridor of the base. While doing so, Shiro started to have flashbacks of from when he was a prisoner in the Galra ship, and how he escaped. "Most of the ship's personal are sentries. When I was a prisoner I timed their pattern."

"Do you remember it?"

"Let's find out."

Shiro pulled Allura down the hallway, using the stabilizing images from his mind. They were able to easily bypass the sentries without getting caught. It would appear that having Shiro around really was the smartest move after all.

With Shiro leading the way, the two arrived at a computer room, where Shiro quickly took down the two robots. Allura kept watch as Shiro placed his Galra hand on the surface for Pidge to download the information.

At the same time, Keith kept a close eye on the cloaked figure take the glowing containers into a darkened room. Keith quickly flew into it before the massive doors closed. The Red Paladin gasped upon seeing that the entire room was filled to the neck with the same glowing yellow containers. He was spotted by a few robots, to which he easily overpowered them with his bayard.

Crunching down, Keith observed the cloaked figure infuse a large orb with the glowing substance. He unleashed some kind of purple energy from his hands and caused the energy itself to turn purple and pour it into another container, now glowing a wicked purple, reminiscent of the Galra's skin colors.

Keith contacted Coran to show him what he was seeing. The older Altean was horrified to see that the glowing substance was, in fact, quintessence. Keith knew about this substance from what Allura had told him about it during their days back on the Astral Plane. From what was explained, the Galra had somehow managed to acquire this powerful substance and convert it into fuel for the Galra Empire's ships. Keith immediately came with the decision to steal some of this material, in hopes it would be of some use to them. Maybe if they understood it better they would be able to have the upper hand on Zarkon.

Seeing his chance, Keith quickly grabbed a small sample of the now purple quintessence and readied to make his way out. What he didn't count on was that the cloaked figure also had the power of teleportation. He knocked Keith from behind, taking the sample with him.

Plan A was a bust, now it was time fro plan B.

Keith charged head first at the cloaked figure with his bayed, but he continuously teleported out of his grasp, then used the raw quintessence to shoot a powerful beam at Keith. Using his jet pack, the young paladin flew up and aimed his sword at the cloaked figure, who repelled the attack with a powerful blast, sending Keith flying back into one of the containers. He yelled in pain, seeing that the yellow substance had burned through his gloves, burning his hands.

Unfortunately for Allura and Shiro, the alarm went off, finally revealing them to be intruders. Using her supper strength, Allura body slammed into the doors, knocking the Galra sentry down and stole his weapon. Shiro looked at the currently tall princess with wide eyes and dropped jaw.

Shiro knew Allura was physically fit but, he had no idea she was this powerful. It was no wonder Keith was so enamored with her. She could give him a run for his money any day of the week.

The two ran down the hallway, only to be stopped by more sentries. Allura aimed one of their guns at them… only to accidentally strike the sentries behind her instead. While Shiro fought the ones in their front, Allura pulled one of the out of commission sentry and hurled him towards the rest of the sentries behind them.

"I thought you said you traveled around the Galaxy!" Shiro exclaimed as he properly placed the gun in Allura's hands, like a father disciplining his child. "You fly a space ship how can you not know how to hold this correctly?"

"I'm tense! This is a tense situation!" Allura said as she and Shiro ran down the corridor. A voice was heard from the intercom, indicating that the ship was about to depart.

Keith continued his fight with the cloaked figure, but it was evident that this, whatever it was, had some kind of supernatural forces on his side. Before the being could destroy Keith, the green lion bursted in through the ceiling, having heard Keith's distress signal, at the same time Shiro had contacted her. One of the containers spilled all over Keith, to which he ignored and hurried into the lion's mouth, but not before narrowing his eyes at whoever that mysterious sorcerer was.

Once inside the ship, Keith felt something tickle his burned hand. Right before his eyes, he noticed how the yellow quintessence had instantaneously cured the purple colored burn from his hand. He brushed the thought aside, for right now they needed to get Shiro and Allura.

The two made their way towards the hatch where the escape pods were. More sentries came at them as the ship was just getting ready to go into hyper speed, by that time it would be too late. The two managed to arrive at the hatch, but the sentries made their way through the closing doors. Using her strength, Allura forced the doors to close, but the sentries were relentless and there were too many for just one Altean.

The thrusters were heard from outside, and Allura started to panic. "It's taking off! Get in the pod!"

"I'm not leaving you!" Shiro exclaimed, using the heat of his Galra hand to seal the doors closed.

Allura kept looking back at the pod as the countdown continued. At this rate, neither of them would make it out. The pod's doors were already closing. Time was running out fast.

"You have to go!" Allura shouted, but Shiro refused to abandon her.

The Altean Princess knew the information needed to get to the paladins, and she knew they would never be able to form Voltron without their leader. So, she did the first thing she could think of.

With all of her might, Allura pulled Shiro from the collar of his suit and threw him into the escape pod. He landed hard on his back and hurried back to his feet, but the doors had already closed in front of him.

He called out her name, watching helplessly as the sentries made their way through the door to grab her. Never the less, Allura gave Shiro a reassuring smile, as a futile attempt to give him some reassurance she would be alright. Though, deep down, she knew it was in vein.

Shiro felt the painful stab of failure pierce his chest as the escape pod ejected him out of the ship, watching helplessly as the woman his best friend loved was taken away. If Keith had been there to watch this… Shiro couldn't even bare the thought.

And neither could Allura as she was forcibly taken away.

The green lion found the pod and Shiro entered the lion. The rest of the team smiled contently to see their leader alive, only to immediately shift to looks of concern and worry once they realized he had come alone.

Keith's eyes widened and he could feel his heart rate accelerating. "Where's Allura?" he asked, unable to mask the already growing terror in his voice. The black paladin hung his head, unwilling to look Keith in the eyes.

"She sacrificed herself to save me." Shiro said, his eyes closed shut, feeling incredible remorse. It was the same pain he felt when he couldn't save the rest of his crew when they were captured by the Galra. It was a feeling he carried with him this entire time, and it only grew stronger. He managed to catch a glimpsed of the heartbreak in Keith's eyes.

The Red Paladin's body froze, which only made Shiro feel worse. "I'm sorry, Keith. I tried, I really did."

"So she's still on that ship?" Pidge asked, equally concerned.

"The ship that's heading to Zarkon's central command?" Hunk asked.

"The place that's way too dangerous for us to attack?" Lance asked, which only made Shiro clench his fists in anger. A gesture Keith mirrored, even subconsciously.

"_I don't care how dangerous it is!_" Keith exclaimed, his voice louder than all the rest. "We can't let Zarkon get Allura!"

"We won't." Shiro said. That wasn't a statement, that was a promise.

"But you said going there would be a huge mistake." said Hunk.

"I know." Shiro said, hanging his head in regret. "But now we don't have a choice."

(~)

_It was a long day, but Keith was finally free. Despite the fact he was going to bed, Keith still made sure he would be presentable in the Astral Plane. For once, he made sure his hair wasn't as messy as usual, but not too neatly as to make him look stiff, and he placed something beside his bed. Something he never thought he'd see again._

_For a moment, memories of Shiro flooded his mind. He wasn't here to congratulate him. To say how proud he was, or how happy he was for his honorary younger brother. Still, if he were here, Shiro would no doubt be almost as happy as Keith was right now._

_Once he went to sleep, he caught Allura in the juniperberry fields, yet again. "Keith, you're here." she said._

_"Were you expecting anyone else?" he joked._

_"I have terrific news! I've been looking at the images you showed me, and I think I may have a hunch as to where you will have a better chance at finding the lion."_

_Allura grabbed his wrist, ready to lead him to the castle, only to be stopped when Keith grabbed both of her hands._

_"Actually, Allura, I was thinking maybe, just for tonight we could… put the lion searching on hold?"_

_"Why? Is something wrong?"_

_"No, not at all. In fact, I feel absolutely fantastic." Keith's smile was hard for Allura to ignore, and it was downright contagious to boot. "Do you remember the day we first met?"_

_"How can I not? I nearly cut your head off with your own knife." Allura blushed in embarrassment at the memory, which felt almost so many years ago, when in reality it had only been one year ago._

_"Exactly. It's been one year since we've met. Today."_

_Allura let out a light gasp, cupping her mouth as her heart swelled when Keith kissed the top of her hand._

_"Happy Anniversary."_

_Allura could barely speak, having reverted into a giggling, happy mess. "I didn't think you--I mean, I assumed you did but--"_

_"Are you kidding? It's all I've been thinking about all day."_

_"Me too! I mean, I wanted to tell you that--I didn't, I mean--I was worried--" Allura face palmed herself at how flustered she had become. "I didn't know how else to say it to you."_

_Keith collided his lips with hers, wrapping his arms around her waist, while her hands rested on his shoulders. Once the kiss ended, Allura rested her forehead against Keith's, savoring their closeness. Hard to believe it's been a whole year, when it feels as if it had been years. Time really does fly in the Astral Plane, as it would seem._

_"I have something for you."_

_"Really?"_

_Keith led Allura beside a tree, that had just manifested and sat down, pulling the guitar to his lap and started strumming. He hadn't played guitar in many years, yet he still kept the instrument for nostalgic sake. Also, because he really didn't have the heart to throw away a perfectly good instrument. Allura listened as the beautiful music filled the air, filling her heart with so much joy she thought she would literally burst. Better yet, it soared like the wings of a dove when she heard Keith sing her the most beautiful song she had ever heard._

_ **We're far apart in every way** _

_ **But you're the best part of my day** _

_ **And sure as I breathe the air** _

_ **I know we are the perfect pair** _

_ **On a starry night that goes on for miles** _

_ **But it's worth it just to see you smile** _

_ **And I cannot be pulled apart** _

_ **From the hold you have on my heart** _

_ **And even if the world tells us it's wrong** _

_ **You're in my head like a catchy song** _

_Tear began to roll down Allura's eyes as Keith strum the guitar, singing the song that came straight from his heart. She scooted closer, resting her head on his shoulder._

_ **The seasons change and leaves may fall** _

_ **But I'll be with you through them all** _

_ **And rain or shine, you'll always be mine** _

_ **On a starry night that goes on for miles** _

_ **You're the only one who makes it all worthwhile** _

_ **And you should not blame me, too** _

_ **If I can't help falling in love with you...** _

_"Keith, that was beautiful. You really wrote that for me?"_

_"Well, I looked up some "how to write a good song" online, but yeah."_

_Allura couldn't help but chuckle. "At least you're honest." she got to her feet, dusting her skirt. "Come on. Now it's time for my gift to you."_

_"You got me something?" Keith asked as Allura helped him up._

_"It's not really something you can physical keep, but it does carry a lot of sentimental value." Allura led Keith back to the castle, towards the control room, where a pedestal with a book arose. Within its pages, were names of the past kinds and queens of Altean, as well as several other couples, who's names had been written on there._

_"I remember when you told me of this earth holiday where lovers give cards and candies, and it reminded me a lot of this similar holiday back on Altea. My father would place this book for all to see and, those who have found true love would write their names on its pages." Allura bashfully tucked the silver hair behind her ear, while Keith traced his fingers over the names, unable to stop the heat in his cheeks._

_"I'm not sure if the original one is still around but, I thought, maybe, we could…" Allura never got to finish her sentence, for Keith already hand a pen in hand, placing it in her hand, gazing lovingly into her eyes._

_"You first."_

(~)

Allura hugged her legs as she sat in her cold Galra cell, watching the Galra soldiers drag away the remaining robotic sentries she had angrily demolished in her rampage. Just because she willingly allowed herself to get captured didn't mean she would make it easy for them.

She couldn't shake off the anguish look of Shiro's face from her mind. She knew he would inform Keith and the others of her capture, and no doubt they would try to rescue her. But, if they did, then Zarkon would have Voltron in his clutches.

While her heart was telling her to yearn and hope her friends and family would come back for her, the leader within her was saying she needed to warn them.

But, how?


	12. Chapter 12

_The hallways were unexplainably silent today. It was the weekend and Keith was just abbot to head back into the desert for more research. He had woken up late due to the extra time he had spent with Allura. It was halfway towards noon, and the sooner her got to the desert the better._

_The sound of approaching footprints made his survival instincts kick in and he hid from view behind a trashcan. One of the Garrison professors saluted the Commander who exited his office door._

_"Sir, we received new intel on the Kerberos mission."_

_"Don't send me the files, I will go and retrieve them myself." the Commander replied. Something about his tone felt off. They had new information on the Kerberos mission? What more would they have? The ship malfunctioned and the crew perished._

_Or… was it possible that this wasn't the whole story?_

_Curious as a feline, Keith silently followed them towards a darkened warehouse outside of the Garrison Academy building. Keith was already good at blending into the shadows, so he used this skill to his advantage. Hiding behind various crates he listened in on the conversation. This area was primarily where they repaired ships and did various tests on the machinery. A group of scientists were working on a copy of the Kerberos ship, while a blueprint of the original remained._

_Keith listened in on the conversation, uncovering a startling revelation that, according to the original blueprint's designs and given the record of the pilots in charge of the ship, there couldn't have been any way that the ship got destroyed due to pilot failure. Not only that, but they showcased the Commander a video feet of the mission, and there wasn't any evidence of a crash on Kerberos, at all. Somehow, the information the Commander received was either incorrect or incomplete._

_Keith struggled to keep his balance upon this discovery. If there was no crash then, could it be possible that Shiro and the Holts were still alive? How would that be possible? Where did the ship go then? What really happened?_

_Unfortunately, Keith never got the answers he was asking for. His cover was blown when one of the security guards grabbed him by the collar. As an act of self defense, Keith punched the man in the jaw, knocking him out and some of the crates that covered him fell to the floor._

_The Commander caught the boy in the act and towered over him. "What do you think you're doing here, Cadet?! This place is off limits!'_

_"Your intel was wrong! Shiro and his crew didn't crash on Kerberos!"_

_Rather than comment on what he knew, the commander grabbed Keith by the collar, lifting him two feet off the ground. "I've had enough of you, you undisciplined grease monkey! I only out up with you because Shiro kept vouching for you. But now that he's gone, I don't have to deal with you anymore."_

_His anger bursted like a volcano and Keith send a single powerful punch directly at the Commander's eyes. He cried out in pain, covering his face, his jaw clenched as the rest of the security attempted to apprehend Keith. He tried to fight them off, but was hit in the shoulder by one of them._

_"You're here by expelled from the Garrison!" the Commander shouted, still covering his left eye. "Get him out of here!"_

_Keith angrily removed himself from the security's grasp. "Don't worry, I was just leaving." with that, Keith stormed out of the warehouse, never once looking back. Once he arrived at his dorm room, he didn't waste a moment to pack everything he had, which granted wasn't all that much, but still, refused to leave anything else behind._

_He was rather surprised to realize that being kicked out of the Garrison didn't leave as much an impact on him as he expected. It was Shiro who motivated him to join the Garrison, and while he can't say every moment there wasn't enjoyable and a real learning experience, ever since he met Allura and Shiro left, learning so much about Altea, Voltron and what more was out there._

_To him, Earth just seemed… so small in comparison. He had always hoped to find some place where he belonged, but maybe he just didn't. Not here, anyways._

_With a bag of his limited belongings, Keith escaped through the window, got on his hover bike and left the building, never once looking back._

_He arrived at the small shack in the desert. Opening the door he was met with cobwebs and dust, even a few lizards here and there. Never the less, he felt more at ease here than he ever was at the Garrison dorm rooms. At least here, he didn't have to hide any secrets from anyone anymore._

_Best of all, he could continue his quest for the lions as long as he wished, and maybe he could uncover more about the Kerberos mission and what really happened. Maybe his earlier theories about Zarkon possibly harming Shiro weren't as far fetched after all._

_(~)_

Pidge immediately got to work on locating Zarkon's central command once they arrived at the Castle. Shiro regretfully unformed Coran of what had happened. To say the male Altean was devastated was an understatement. Once Pidge found the scans for the Central Command, the team were astonished at how large it was.

"I think we should go in right away." Pidge said, "Every minute we waste gives Zarkon a time to prepare for us."

"I agree." said Lance, "We form Voltron, fly in, fly out, dust off…."

The words of the team started to become faded and distant, and Keith suddenly felt incredibly lightheaded. His vision was becoming distorted and he couldn't keep his eyelids up. The entire room looked like it was spinning and he couldn't even hear the words coming out of everyone's mouths. He only heard faint murmurs and saw their mouths moving, but couldn't comprehend the words.

"Keith… Keith, what's wrong?" Shiro asked, watching the Red Paladin take a few wobbly steps back before passing out entirely on the floor. Everyone huddled around him, with Shiro holding the younger man in his arms, the way way he did to Lance when he was injured by Sendak's explosion.

"Keith, this is not the time to be taking a nap!" Hunk exclaimed, noticing that Keith was indeed sleeping, but not in a peaceful sleep. His brows kept twitching and kept on groaning softly. His body was still, yet it appeared his brain was fast at work.

Keith opened his eyes. Still in his paladin gear, and standing in a floor less void, surrounded by nothing but darkness and shimmering stars. A silhouette started to take shape in front of him. It was the body of a woman, one with a familiar looking pink, white and blue full body suit and her silvery hair styled into a bun. He opened her eyes, blinking in surprise and studying her surroundings.

"I don't believe it."

"Allura?"

"Keith!"

The princess ran up towards the paladin, hugging him tightly. Keith held on as tightly as he could. "You're okay!"

"I am. For the moment."

"What's going on? Where are you?"

"I'm being sent to Zarkon's central command." Allura said, her hands still on his shoulders and his arms still around her waist. "I was trying to think of some way to contact you, then I fell asleep and, here I am."

"What is this place?" Keith asked, looking around the large space environment.

"If I had to guess, maybe all of our visits to the Astral Plane has given us some kind of, physic connection."

"Like the one you have with the mice?"

"I think so. But, this kind of communication takes up a lot of energy, I don't know how long we have."

"It's going to be alright. We're already on our way to--"

"No! Keith, that's what I've been trying to tell you!" Allura clung desperately onto Keith's armor. "You can't go on this mission!"

"What? Why?!"

"If you do, you will be delivering the Universe's only hope straight to Zarkon. We can't allow that to happen."

"But what about you? You can't expect me to just leave you with that monster!"

Tears were already rolling down Allura's cheeks as she cupped his face into her hands. "I wish for nothing more than to be with you again. But Keith, this is bigger than the two of us. I know we said we have to make hard decisions… this is one of them. You have to trust me."

Keith didn't have the words. What more could he say? Allura did make a very valid point. This base could hold a thousand ships, and even the team struggled to hold their own against all of those fleets back at the Balmara. For all they knew, Zarkon was most likely expecting this from the paladins. They would no doubt come after Allura. He was going to use her as bait.

He shook his head as he held her hand close to his right cheek. "I can't loose you." he said, his voice cracking.

"You won't. I will not allow Zarkon to keep me as his prisoner forever. I know you and the others will find another way. Please, do whatever you can to keep Voltron away from Zarkon."

In his heart, Keith couldn't agree to just leaving Allura behind, even though logically speaking she was right. Still, he couldn't abandon her.

"Alright. But this doesn't I won't stop trying to bring you home."

Allura gave him a loving smile, only to feel herself being pulled away from him. The stars around them disappeared into the void, their hands still held tightly together, only to be pulled apart by some invisible pull.

"Allura!" Keith catapulted awake, screaming the princess's name, panting to try and calm his rapidly beating heart. Droplets of sweat dripped down to his neck.

"Keith, are you okay?" Shiro asked with concern, placing a hand on Keith's back.

"I-" he said between breaths, "I saw her. I saw Allura."

"How?" Lance asked.

"From the Astral Plane. It gave us some kind of link." Keith found the strength in his legs and got back up, his breathing leveling out.

"What did she say?" Coran asked.

Keith dared not even look at Allura's caretaker. "She said we shouldn't go on this mission at all."

"What? There's no way!" Lance said, stubbornly shaking his head.

"She knows if we do, we'll be handing Voltron right into Zarkon's hands." Keith explained, despite the growing frustration in his voice. While he did agree with Allura's resigning, he was furious that he couldn't think of any other way to bring her back without endangering the universe's only hope, while at the same time growing even more angry at Zarkon for having her as his prisoner.

"But, then how are we supposed to bring her back?" Hunk asked nervously, only to shrink back when Keith snapped at him.

"I don't know, okay!"

"Alright, alright, calm down."

"Keith, you can't be serious!" Lance stepped in, clenching his fists in disapproval.

"I'm not a big fan of the idea, not one bit, but Allura does have a point. This is bigger than any one of us. We have to start thinking like paladins."

"Uh, no." Lance said, standing up to Keith in a way he had never done before. This wasn't in a teasing manner, nor in some kind of 'I'm trying to be as good, if not better, than you' attitude, but a downright authoritative attitude towards his fellow paladin.

"Excuse me?"

"You heard me. I said 'no'. N. O. No! There is no way we're going through with that."

"But--"

"But, nothing! Look, Keith, I get it. We have to think about what's best for the universe, you and Allura know that better than any of us and you agree with her. But, I can tell that that's your head talking and not your heart."

Keith didn't reply. For the first time ever, in the most bizarre way possible, Lance was… actually being empathetic towards Keith.

"I know we don't always get along, and maybe I'll never understand exactly what Allura sees in you, but there is no denying that what you two have is something powerful. I mean, you guys were literally galaxies apart and you never stopped trying to find her. It isn't every day that a guy would fight for his love the way you did. As sappy as it may sound, you and Allura remind us that nothing is impossible so long as you never give up."

"He's right." Hunk said, taking Keith by surprise. "When Shay and her people were imprisoned, for a moment I didn't know if anything could be done. But, if you were able to reach Allura and find the lions, then there had to be hope for her and her people."

Pidge stood up from her chair. "If you hadn't found Allura, none of us would have found the lions. You wouldn't have led us to them. I know you said that I couldn't abandon the team for my family, and you were right. The only way for me to find them is if I stick with you guys. We're all a team, and Allura is part of that team. I'm not giving up on her either."

"None of us are." Lance said, genuinely smiling at Keith like a reassuring friend.

"We'll make sure Zarkon doesn't get his hands on her, or Voltron." Shiro promised, placing a hand on Keith's shoulder. "We won't stop until she's back home."

Keith was at a loss for words. He didn't think his determination to find Allura, and their own story could help inspire the others. All this time, he assumed they just saw them as the token couple of the group, but as it turned out… they were much more than that.

Keith smiled in gratitude. "Thanks, you guys."

(~)

_"He did what?!"_

_"They kicked me out."_

_That evening, Keith had told Allura everything that happened at the Garrison. The princess was both furious, as well as distraught._

_"I overheard them talking about the kerberos mission. Turns out there never was a crash. They lied to the press, to the cadets, everyone."_

_"I can't believe that… that… dopherbarg!" Allura yelled, clenching her hands into half fists, trying to resist the urge to punch somebody… then twist their arm. "Err! I could just punch him right in the eye!"_

_"Already did." Keith stated, raising his hand, resting his elbows on his knees. "He's probably never gonna be able to see with it again."_

_"Well, serves him right! Why would your Garrison military hide this information?"_

_"I don't know. Even if there wasn't a crash, how did Shiro and the Holts disappear?"_

_Allura's eyes widened in alarm. "You don't think…"_

_Keith sat up straight and up from the couch. "Zarkon?"_

_"Oh, Keith." Allura stood up, clenching her hands near her heart. "I am so sorry."_

_"It's not your fault. I'm the one who didn't tell him, and even if I did how else would he have believed me? Let alone know any way on how to protect himself."_

_"I can't help but feel responsible."_

_Keith gently gripped Allura's shoulders. "No. Allura, don't ever blame yourself for any of this. None of this is your fault."_

_"But--"_

_"None of this is you fault." Keith repeated for emphasis. "If anyone is to blame, it's Zarkon, not you."_

_Allura took in a deep breath. "You're right. Which means it's more crucial than ever that we find the Blue Lion. I'm more than certain once we locate it, it can lead us to the other lions… and, maybe even lead us to uncovering what happened Shiro."_

_Keith held Allura close and kissed her lips. "This mystery just keeps growing and growing, doesn't it?" he said._

_"All the more reason to stick together." Allura replied before kissing him once more. The princess wrapped her arms around his neck, humming lightly as they deepened the kiss._

_This was how they would often seal a promise._

_(~)_

The rest of the team was hard at work trying to find ways to retrieve Allura. Keith worked alongside Coran on a way to sneak into the base, undetected. Shiro watched the two and the guilt ate up inside of him. Shiro knew how important Allura was to Coran, but he was even more aware of how important she was to Keith.

He remembered seeing that gleam in his eyes whenever Keith spoke about her. How he would openly laugh and chuckle alongside her. How they would act as if they were the only two people in the room, sharing inside jokes. Keith was never one to open up so easily to others, which often made him appear cold and uncaring, which Shiro knew could not be farther from the truth. His friendship with Keith allowed him to learn to trust others and to break out of his shell more. But, with Allura, it was as if a piece of Keith's soul had been lost and was now found. It was evident in their loving gazes, their hugs and their solid trust in one another that cemented Lance's earlier statement.

What they had was indeed something powerful. The term "star crossed lovers" had suddenly taken on an entirely new meaning.

"I know you're worried about her." Shiro said to both the Red paladin and Altean. "I'm sorry I let her slip away."

"It wasn't your fault Shiro." Keith replied. "I know you did what you could. Allura chose to sacrifice herself to save you. She would have done the same for any of us."

"Keith's right." Coran said. "That girl is as stubborn as her father was." he looked down sadly. "I'm sorry I snap at you before, Shiro. It's just, I've already lost so much. I can't lose Allura too."

"We'll find a way to bring her back." Shiro promised. "If there was just a way to get close to Zarkon's ship unseen."

"Wait a tick, I think I've got a way."

While the team thought of a plan to retrieve Allura, the princess herself sat in her cold Galra cell. The purple glow of the ship made her sick to her stomach. A complete contrast to the soothing blue glow of her castle.

The doors opened, and Allura narrowed her eyes at the hideous witch that ordered her to come with her. Allura refused to stand, but had no choice when the druids pulled her up and led her out. It didn't take long until she was now face to face with the one who had caused her all this suffering. All this anger. All this betrayal.

"Princess Allura." the voice spoke. That low, ominous, yet chilling voice that made Allura's soul burn with intense fire that would no doubt burn anything within two feet of her. Despite being handcuffed, Allura charged at the beast from behind.

"You monster! You destroyed Altea!" Allura cried out, ready to take the Galra leader head on, but was immediately stopped when the witch levitated her upwards, nearly chocking her. She dropped the young princess to the floor, but her spirit refused to be broken so easily.

"Torture me all you want! Voltron is going to put an end to your empire!"

"No. It will only make me more powerful. Your father knew that as well as I. That is why he led me to believe he destroyed it all those years ago. But now your new paladins will come for you, and they will deliver Voltron to me, and with it the key to unimaginable power. Your attempts to alert them were in vein."

Allura stood back up on her feet, glaring at the Galra leader. "How did you--"

"I sensed your link." said Haggar the witch. "You share a _very_ strong bond with one of your paladins. You were able to speak to him with your mind… and your heart." Allura noticed that the witch's tone shifted into one of pure disgust and resentment. "Foolish child. Your love will only bring your undoing, and secure Lord Zarkon's reign for a millennia to come.”

"I wouldn't expect a witch like you to ever understand." Allura sneered. "You've never loved anyone!"

"Silence!" Zarkon's voice rose in volume to the point it sounded almost like a sonic boom that caused the entire room to tremble. "Remove her from my sight." he said, turning away, his long cape billowing. Allura was forced out of the room, her eyes still narrowing at the witch.

Meanwhile, the paladins had come up with a plan. Despite Allura's absence, the castle would be able to do at least one wormhole jump and hide the castle within one of the large gas planets inside Zarkon's central command to remain undetected, scan the ship for Allura and retrieve her before Zarkon can capture them. It was risky, but there was no other way around it. Not to mention, it wasn't what Allura had wanted. Never the less, nobody was willing to leave her in Zarkon's hands.

The universe maybe be worth making great sacrifices… but so was family.

Once they arrived, they set the plan into motion, formed Voltron and attacked the incoming Galra ships. They didn't doubt Zarkon would attempt to fight back, but Voltron refused to turn tail and run. Using all of their weapons at their disposal, the giant robot sliced through every Galra ship with its mighty sword and shoulder cannon. By the looks of it, Voltron was winning this battle.

But this winning streak was about to come to an abrupt end once they came close to Zarkon's ship.

(~)

_Another day, another quest for the lion. Keith documented as much detail as he possibly could, no matter how small. He traveled all across the desert area, looking for more and more carvings of the lion, but no new information was found._

_However, when he returned to his shack, he started to notice a pattern. A lot of the stories he found in the caves all shared something in common. It didn't entirely click until he was certain he had searched all of the caves and taken pictures of every single carving he had uncovered._

_While the stories were different, they did shared a common tie in. Each one told of some kind of event. Images of something falling from the sky and landing in front of the lion, along with some very vague writing that resembled letters he had uncovered when he dusted the sand off of the surface. Once he showed them to Allura, she gasped._

_"What is it? What does it mean?" Keith asked, alarmed at Allura's reaction._

_"I think… I think it's some kind of… calendar."_

_"A calendar."_

_"Well, not a full one, from what I can tell, but it speaks of a specific date."_

_"What's the date?"_

_Allura hovered the images in front of her, sliding them from side to side with her finger like one would work an ipad. "Strange. It's not like any calendar I've ever seen."_

_"Wait a minute."_

_Allura paused and Keith studied the image, placing a few together in one place. He noticed that the images resembled a planet with the sun in a specific orbit with various symbols around it._

_"It's the earth revolving around the sun." Keith concluded. "Look at these symbols."_

_"I've never seen symbols like those before."_

_"They're constellations. Or, at least the ones from our solar system." Keith pointed to a symbol that resembled a crab. "That's the zodiac sign, Cancer. And look at where the earth is located around the sun."_

_"What does that mean?"_

_"The constellation Cancer ranges from the month of June to July. Judging by this image, it's the earth around the Summer Solstice."_

_"So, something is supposed to happen on the day of this Summer Solstice?"_

_"It would appear so."_

_"What month is earth in now?"_

_"June. About a couple weeks before the solstice. But, look at this." Keith pointed to another symbol, where it showcased the moon, and the earth with a shadow over one side. "It looks like it's symbolizing night."_

_"So, judging by this find, something is intended to happen on the night after this Summer Solstice?"_

_"It looks like it." Keith waved his hand, making the images disappear._

_"So, could this be it?" Allura asked, "Could this be the answer to what we've been searching all this time?"_

_"I could be. If the lion was trying to send us a message, this might just be it."_

_Allura held her hands close to her heart. "I can't believe it. After all this time, we may have finally uncovered what the lion was trying to tell us."_

_"We'll find out in a couple weeks."_

_"What's a couple more weeks compared to the finally waking up and taking the fight to Zarkon?"_

_Keith couldn't help but chuckle. "It's great to hear you so full of optimism again."_

_"I believe this calls for a celebration." Allura said, taking a bold step towards Keith, wrapping her arms around his neck, making him blush. "Up for another race?"_

_The two laughed like happy teenagers as they rode their stallions across the Altean fields. For the first time in weeks, they could finally let loose and enjoy each other's company. They rode along the hilltops before stopping near a ocean shore. Allura walked onto the rocky ledge, outstretching her arms as the winds picked up. Even if they weren't real, she wanted to make believe that they were, for she had no doubt she would be feeling and smelling real air soon enough._

_Keith walked up from behind her, wrapping his arms around her waist and resting her chin on her shoulder. Allura placed her hands over his own before turning around to kiss him full on the lips. They parted for a few moments and Allura leaned into his ear, whispering, "I will always love you, Keith Kogane."_

_To her surprise, and delight, she felt Keith's lips hover over her ear, and he whispered the same words. "And I will always love you." Keith placed a strand of silver hair behind her ear and the two shared another kiss amongst the juniperberry flowers._

_It was a rather big risk. Saying they will love each other always. But for Keith, it was a risk worth taking._

_(~)_

Voltron froze. The sword disappeared and the giant robotic warrior refused to move upon command of the paladins. Shiro was having the most difficulty out of all of them. It felt as if his lion was trying to separate itself from the others. He couldn't control it, no matter how hard he tried, the lion just refused to obey him.

From within his ship, Zarkon could sense the lion's connection and, with his sheer force of will, forced the lions to separate, leaving them nearly defenseless at the ends of his troops. Keith had a hunch that the Galra leader had planned this. His former hunch was right, he did use Allura was bait to reel them in, and they fell for it hook line and sinker. Allura was trying to warn them, but Keith was torn between doing the sensible thing and retrieving the woman he loved. It would seem being a paladin of Voltron and a boyfriend were two things that didn't always go together, unfortunately.

Still, Keith was never one to cut and run when things got hairy, and today was no exception. It didn't matter what went wrong, now they had to do everything they could do to make it right.

The lions held their own against the incoming fleets, with the aid of Coran and the Castle of Lion's defenses. Shiro's lion was the only one that didn't participate in the fight. The Black Lion was being forced towards the ship by some kind of powerful purple energy. The lion opened its mouth and ejected Shiro right out of the cockpit. He managed to grab hold of the side of the ship and used his Galra arm to create an opening.

Keith saw his friend enter the ship, but also the Black Lion being lured towards Zarkon. He couldn't allow him to have it. If there was every a time to act like a paladin, it was now.

"Guys, you get Allura without me!"

"What? We need to stick together! What are you doing?" Lance asked, startled by the Red Paladin's decision.

"Whatever I can." Keith had his lion ram right into the Black Lion, sparing it from being taken by Zarkon. It landed onto the side of the ship, completely out of commission. A strange figure zoomed past Keith's lion, landing in front of the currently sleeping Black Lion. The moment Keith laid eyes on the beast, his grip on his controls tightened, and his blood boiled.

"Zarkon." Keith hissed. He recognized that hideous face from Allura's memories. The face of the monster who took her family away from her. The reason why she had been alone all this time. The reason she and the rest of the universe had suffered greatly at his greedy hands.

Coran saw the beast on his computer screen. "Oh, no. Keith, get out of there, now! Zarkon's too powerful!"

But the Altean man's words had little to no effect on his. Keith's irises shrunk, his jaw clenching tightly. All other logic and reasoning flew out the window, only to become completely overtaken by a spirit of uncontrollable rage.

"This is my chance to put an end to the Galra Empire." his voice practically a growl, dawning the eyes of a psycho. "I have to take it!"

Keith charged head on, unleashing every power he had in his disposal to defeat Zarkon. What Keith didn't anticipate was that Zarkon still had his original bayard from his Black Paladin past. No wonder Shiro never had his, he and Allura genuinely believed it had been lost. He never had guessed he still had it, he assumed Zarkon would have wished to place his Paladin days behind him.

Nevertheless, Keith refused to back down from this fight. 

Allura was startled when the yellow paladin made an opening through her prison. "Hunk! What are you doing here? Tell me you didn't bring Voltron straight to Zarkon's central command!"

"Yeah, about that, we kind of, sort of, uh…" Hunk scratched his neck nervously, only to whimper when he saw the anger in Allura's eyes. "Okay, before you start yelling, Keith told us not to do it, but we kind of reeled him into it, so if you're going to get mad at anyone, get mad at us… actually, get mad at Lance, it was mostly him."

Allura didn't really have time to play the blame game for the sound of Shiro's distressed voice came in through the intercom in her earrings. "Come on, we have to save Shiro!"

(~)

_"You sure you have everything?" Allura asked him._

_"Don't worry, I promise I'll be prepared for anything."_

_"I know, it's just… this will be the first night where… we probably won't see each other."_

_"Hey, it's only for one night. This could be what we've been waiting for." Keith held Allura close. "Finally, we won't have to be asleep in order to see each other."_

_Allura smiled in contentment at the thought. "That would be nice. To hold one another for real. I really hope we're right about this."_

_Keith gently lifted her chin up. "Hey, think positive. We'll be together before you know it."_

_Allura sighed, feeling as if a huge weight was about to be lifted right off of her shoulders. He cupped Keith's neck and placed a longing kiss on his lips._

_"I'll see you soon, Allura." Keith promised before disappearing._

_That very evening, Keith stood on a rock, looking at the night sky. It was the exact day that the markings had indicated, and he was patiently waiting for something to happen. He waited for hours, noticing that it was getting very late. At this hour, the students at the Garrison would already be getting ready for bed._

_After a long time of waiting, a light flashed in the sky. Pulling his binoculars, Keith spotted what looked like a comet, but upon closer inspection it was really a ship. He watched as the craft landed in an area not too far away from the Garrison._

_There was something, or someone on that ship, and Keith was determined to find out who it was. Using his hover bike, Keith arrived at the area where the ship had landed, positioning explosions to distract the Garrison scientists while he snuck in from the other side. Covering his face with a bandana, Keith made his way into the tent lab, knocking out three of the meck techs in less than a minute. Someone had been strapped to a gurney._

_This being wasn't an alien at all, but a human. A human with a scar across the bridge of his nose and a cuff of white hair hanging over his forehead. Never the less, Keith recognized that face. For a moment, he thought his eyes were playing tricks on him, but there was absolutely no denying it._

_"Shiro?"_

_The markings on the cave were right. Something, or rather someone, did arrive tonight. He just never would have expected it to be his best friend, originally presumed dead. Using his mysterious knife, Keith cut his unconscious friend free, only to be stopped by three other guys, one of which introduced himself as Lance and insisted her and Keith were rivals for some reason._

_It took a while, but Keith eventually remembered the boy, but didn't give much thought about whatever beef her had with him. The important thing now was to get Shiro out of there._

_(~)_

While Allura and Hunk hurried to retrieve Shiro, Keith was still engaged in his fight against Zarkon. The Galra had the young man cornered. He was half the size of his lion, and yet he was throwing Keith around like a rag doll.

"No." Keith growled. He refused to give in. He would never give in to Zarkon's power. He had ruined too many lives already.

For a moment, his mind went back to Allura. Her smile, her laughter, her courage. She never gave up, not even when she was his prisoner. He still saw that fiery spirit even during that short moment in that space void. Keith let out a mighty yell, activating his lions Rail Gun and aimed it at Zarkon, but even that intense blast wasn't enough to knock him down. Zarkon redirected it to strike a side of his own ship.

"You fight like a Galra solider." Zarkon's voice said. It was the first time he had ever heard him speak. His voice was just as horrifying to hear as he had expected, but something about that comment made Keith's blood boil even more than it already had.

With one swing of his bayard, which could change into literally any weapon he desired, Keith was knocked down onto the side of the ship, his lion unresponsive.

"Come on! Come on!" Keith yelled desperately, trying to get his lion to wake up, just as Zarkon saw the chance to finish him off right then and there.

The Black Lion came swooping in, blasting Zarkon away and taking the Red Lion into its mouth like a parent would its cub.

"I've got you, buddy!"

"Shiro, thanks. Did you guys get Allura?"

"Yes. She's fine."

Keith let out a sight of relief. His earlier adrenaline slowly evaporate. Allura was safe, as was Shiro, the Black Lion, and everyone else once he saw the lions all together again.

Inside the ship, Allura readied the castle to create a wormhole, which was countered by the Galra barrier. Then, out of nowhere, the barrier had deactivated, granting the paladins free access to escape. Any questions on how or why that happened was immediately brushed aside and Allura opened the wormhole, while Shiro shielded the Red Lion in the castle hanger.

But, Haggar was not done with them yet. Using her dark magic, she infused the portal with her negative energy, causing the normally blue colored vortex to turn a horrifying purple color. No doubt it was the Galra's doing, how and why was beyond them.

"Coran, what's happening?" Shiro asked.

"The integrity of the wormhole has been compromised! It's breaking down!"

"What does that mean?" Lance asked.

"It means we have no control over where we're headed!"

The powerful energy of the now corrupted wormhole sucked both the Black and Red lions right out of the hanger, as it did with the others lions. Keith watched helplessly as he and the others paladins were separated, being thrown into random areas of the wormhole, winding up who knows where. Keith caught a glimpse of the Castle before his lion was hurled into another part of space.

"_NO!_" he yelled in anguish, not only at being separated from Allura… but separated from his entire team.

His friends.

Allura watched in horror as each of the lions was thrown off course, her heart breaking when she saw the Red lions disappear into the black and purple energy, coursing with electrical currents.

"_NO!_" she cried out, not only at being separated from her beloved, but also the rest of the team.

Her friends.

(~)

_After one terrifying chase scene, well terrifying for the other guys given how much they were screaming, Keith managed to get Shiro back to his shack, where Keith explained to him and the others what he had been up to._

_However, he left out the part about Allura and Voltron. He should have told them right then and there, but given how worn and no doubt traumatized Shiro was, he wasn't sure if to dump so much information onto him at once. Plus, he didn't fully trust these other guys to tell them everything that was happening. He didn't ask for them to tag along, and the last thing he needed was to have unnecessary stowaways on his quest to find the blue lion._

_When the fat man revealed himself useful to locating the lion, Keith decided to let them help out, even if for a little bit. Once they entered the cave to where the lion carvings were, for the first time ever, they started to glow._

_It was as if they had reacted to Lance's presence._

_Even more astonishing, Keith had finally found the Blue Lion. The massive robotic beast was surrounded by a force field, which only opened when Lance tapped on it. The lion immediately responded and opened its mouth, letting Lance inside._

_Keith was too stunned to even speak, so far things were going as he had hoped. The Blue Lion was finally discovered, but he couldn't just shake these people off. As much as he hated to admit it, it would appear that the only person who could get the lion to active was Lance… who proved to be a horrible pilot._

_Keith had been debating on wether or not to reveal to them what he already knew of the beast. Even that fight with the Galra ship didn't help with his decision making. It took every ounce of his willpower not to mutter the name of the aliens out loud upon spotting the ship._

_His voice was lost when the wormhole opened and they traveled inside, narrowly escaping the Galra ship and exiting through the other side. A planet similar to earth in appearance laid ahead._

_The lion flew at top speed towards the planet. Keith's heart pounded against his chest, harder and harder with every breath once the lion finally landed, now standing before a large, shimmering castle. His eyes widened and he tightened his grip onto the head of Lance's chair. Out of all of them, he was the first to exit at top speed, coming to an abrupt halt once he stood before the castle's large doors._

_He tentatively rose a shaking hand, taking in deep breaths until the lion roared. The sound opened the doors automatically, the outlines glowing a bright neon blue as a result._

_Not a single element of this large, captivating castle went by without a bell sounding off in Keith's memory. Everybody else gazed in curiosity, but Keith looked on with familiarity._

_All thoughts of what he would tell the others were placed on hold, for right now he was too overwhelmed to even speak. A wondrous smile formed across his lips and his eyes sparkled with a child-like wonder and tearful glee._

_Upon reaching what appeared to be the central control room. The control panel lit up and two pods rose from the floor, bringing in a chilling mist as they rose. Keith stood almost as frozen as the silhouettes of the people inside. One of the pods shimmered, revealing a stunning young woman wearing a blue, white and pink gown. Her skin was dark brown and her hair was that of stardust, long and flowing behind her like sea foam. She gasped and reached out her hand, calling out for her father before loosing her footing. Lance, being the closest, managed to catch her before she hit the ground. Upon looking at her closely, Lance immediately blushed and smiled flirtatiously._

_The young woman finally caught wind of his attempts and her instincts kicked in. Before he even had time to respond, Lance was forced to his knees when the woman grabbed him by the ear, twisting him around, gripping his rounded ear tightly._

_"Who are you? Where is King Alfor? What are you doing in my castle?"_

_"A giant blue lion brought us here, that's all we know!"_

_"The blue lion? So, that means…" her blue eyes, which had a pink dot in the center of her pupils, looked up at the rest of the unknown visitors. However, her gaze fell upon one young man in particular._

_"Keith…is it really you?"_

_"It's me, Allura."_

_As fast as lightning, the woman, wrapped her arms around him, burying her face into the crock of his neck. Keith wrapped his arms tightly around her waist, lifting her up from the ground and spinning around a few times before stopping. His chin rested on her shoulder, while his hand rose upwards from her waist to stroke her long silver locks. Allura gazed into Keith's eyes, still tearing up, but beaming all the same._

_"You're here!"_

_"I told you I'd find you."_


	13. Chapter 13

_He found her._

_At long last, Keith had finally found Allura._

_No longer would he need to be asleep to see her. To hold her, ear her voice, her laughter. Their reunion was everything he had hoped for._

_Well, almost._

_They were still in the middle of a war. A war her long time enemy Zarkon had started. Their story had started out pleasant enough. It began in a field of wild alien flowers, and it continued within the flying Castle Ship with Keith riding a Red Lion alongside his fellow paladins._

_The two promised they would face anything together. Side by side, just as they always have. Only one questioned remained…_

_Where will they go from here now?_

_(~)_

Allura watched helplessly as the five lions were sucked into the rift. Their horrified screams rang in her ears even long after they had vanished. To make maters worse, both herself and Coran were still traveling at incredible speed through the vortex with no specific location in sight, or to be made via computer.

She should have known something like this would happen. The lions made a great risk at coming after her, even though deep down she knew they would. They were the heroes of this story, naturally they would not abandon one of their own. They ignored her pleading for them not to come after her, but they didn't listen.

Keith didn't listen. He said he would but he didn't.

And yet, she couldn't find it in her heart to be angry at him. If she were in his place, she would have done the exact same thing. Who was she fooling? After everything they have been through she should have expected this from him. Not to mention, Keith was willing to do as she said, but he was convinced by the others not to do so. Of course, he agreed.

Again, Allura would have too had she been in his place. She lost her father, her home, everything she had ever known, would she be a fool to not wish to lose the man she truly loved? She knew she would be.

While Coran and Allura traveled through the rift, Keith and Shiro had managed to get lost in the same location. Thick sandy clouds rose up into the planet's atmosphere, a single bright yellow sun as its only source of light, and two moons on opposite sides. A hole tore in the sky and the red lion and black lion crash landed on the hard rocky surface, both several miles away from one another.

Shiro breathed in slowly, gripping the wound that Haggar witch had given him. The left side of his stomach glowed with purple claw marks. He winced at the pain but pushed past it even as his lion was now helplessly laying on the ground. At the same time, Keith struggled to regain control of his lion. Once he hit the ground everything was consumed by darkness. After a short while, or at least Keith assumed it was a short while, he woke up. His lion was out of commission so if there was any hope on finding Shiro he would have to travel on foot. He allowed his lion to rest and climbed out.

The planet looked bleak and devoid of life. It was a gray, barren wasteland surrounded upon miles and miles of jagged rocks and mountains, even several rocks hovered above the ground as if trapped in some gravitational pull. There didn't appear to be any towns or cities within a hundred yards, yet something told Keith the chances of finding any trace of alien civilization was unlikely.

Keith's first instinct was to ask where the heck he and his lion had landed. The computer was busted so he couldn't scan the place to gather any information. In a blink, his mind went directly to Shiro. He had fallen onto the same planet as Keith had, and he saw the Black Lion land somewhere far off. He tried contacting Shiro via the communication inside his paladin helmet as he ran across the planet's flat surface, using the digital map in the lens of his helmet to try and locate him.

He felt a wave of relief once he heard his best friend's voice coming through the other end. His voice was raspy and hard to read at first, but it quickly became firm and clear.

"Shiro, you made it." Keith said, feeling relieved. At least he wasn't alone on this planet.

Shiro fronted from his end of the conversation. "It takes more than a glowing alien wound, a fall from the upper atmosphere and crashing into a hard pan surface of I'm guessing is about twenty five meters per second square to get rid of me. How are you?"

"Not good." Keith replied, panting as he leaped from stone to stone in a crater, using his jet pack for momentum. "My lion's messed up and--Wait, what wound?"

"It's nothing." Shiro said, only to wince in pain afterwards. He knew he wasn't pulling off a very convincing act, but he tried his best not to worry his friend. He was more than sure he was stressed enough as it was, he didn't need to add more salt to the wound.

No pun intended.

"Hang on, I'm coming!"

Before Shiro could answer with a good-natured, 'take your time', the sound of multiple hungry growls came from his lion. Unless somehow robotic lions could get pregnant and have a litter of robot kittens, he was more than sure they would not result to looking like scaly, tusked monstrosities.

A group of large lizard-like creatures sniffed the surface of his lion, no doubt looking for something to eat. One of them sniffed the air and Shiro instinctively covered his wound with his hand. They could probably smell his blood. And to them, blood was like desert before the main course, and Shiro was on the menu.

"On second thought, you better hurry."

(~)

Keith wasn't the only one having his own troubles. Allura and Coran were still traveling through the vortex, and the castle flew distortedly, the young Altean princess struggled to keep control. The screens kept flashing red at everything. No matter what they tried, the castle just refused to respond to anything they did.

"Let's check the rift exit positioning monitor to see where this wormhole is taking us!" Coran said as he continuously tampered with the controls.

"Coran, look! There appears to be something on the other end!" Allura exclaimed. Whatever it was, it looked like a giant hole, completely black with nothing seemingly on the other side.

"Scanners show that there's no exit." Coran said, "It's just nothingness! Find an exit before we run smack into the void!"

"I can't! I've lost control of the castle!"

"Brace yourself, we're about to hit it!"

Allura closed her eyes shut as the gigantic clouds of darkness consumed them all. It all happened so fast Allura didn't have enough time to remorse over the loved ones she had lost. The paladins, Coran, the mice…. Keith.

"Let's check the rift exit positioning monitor to see where this wormhole is taking us!"

Her caretaker's voice was what got Allura to open her eyes. While everything in the castle was still flashing red warning signs and the castle was still flying aimlessly through the vortex, she herself was still in tact, as was Coran, and literally everything else. No body parts out of order, no mysterious planet or monster chasing after them. Everything was exactly as it was before they entered the void.

"Coran, we're okay!"

"What are you talking about? We lost all the lions!"

"We just smacked into a black void don't you remember?" Allura said. To make the situation even more peculiar she saw that her mice friends had turned into…. squirrels?

"What happened to the mice?" she asked. As if things weren't strange enough, she noticed something was off about Coran. His cloths were entirely different, and while he still physically looked like his typical mustached self, a few of his wrinkles had disappeared and his hair was longer, tied into a small ponytail. Allura shook her head in bewilderment.

"What?" Coran asked, "Do I have boogies stuck in my mustache again?"

"No, you look… younger!"

The castle felt like it hit a bump or something, causing Allura to nearly lose her footing but quickly grabbed the side controls again. The exact same black void appeared before them again and Coran repeated the exact same words he said before they hit it the first time. It was as if the first hit never happened at all, or at least that's what it looked like to Coran. Allura tried again to find another exit but, like before, nothing seemed to work, she couldn't receive a signal from the outside or outside. Its like they were stuck inside a bottle with no way of escaping.

The void consumed them again and, just like before, everything reverted back to exactly the way it was before, to Coran behaving as if they had never hit the void in the first place and repeating the exact same words he said before. Only this time, he looked even younger. Around his late twenties to early thirties, more muscular with even shorter, spiker hair, and an even more upbeat and flamboyant personality.

In a way, this version of him reminded Allura a bit of Lance. It was no wonder he favored the blue paladin.

As for the mice, they had transformed once again, this time into adorable hippos that licked Allura affectionately. It was clear that the black void worked as a time loop that was effecting everyone but Allura herself. Every time they went through the darkened void Coran became younger and the mice kept devolving into random creatures, from flying creatures, to literal floating orbs of energy with goggly eyes, and at one point even snails.

As for Coran, he kept de-aging as well. His teenage self was, disturbingly, less helpful. He was gloomy and whinny it infuriated Allura to no end, and he was only around for a few short moments. Allura attempted to have the castle lock onto the lions, using her own connection, but just like everything else, that didn't work either. She couldn't sense their energy anywhere. With every failed attempt, and with how, as harsh as it was to say, useless Coran was being right now, she felt completely incapable to getting them out of this time loop.

If she didn't find a way out, Coran would change back into an infant and disappear for good, and the mice would most likely disappear along with him. The lions would be lost and she would be stuck in an endless rewind.

She would be all alone again.

(~)

Keith hurried as much as he could, keeping contact with Shiro, who informed him about the creatures that surrounded him. Keith accelerated his speed, but his yet pack could only get him so far on this planet.

A geyser bursted from the ground behind Keith as he continued on, only for more of them to burst around him, blocking his path and shaking the planet. Keith ran from the exploding bursts of water, using his jet pack to try and get himself to fly upwards, but it would seem the planet's gravity pressure prevented him from doing so. The most he could do was glide a few feet, and even that wasn't fast enough to reach Shiro.

Another geyser went off, knocking Keith off his feet and he rolled over the side of a cliff. Using his bayard, Keith held onto the side and pulled himself back up.

"Keith, what happened?" Shiro asked, having hidden himself inside a cave to try and prevent the creatures.

"Minor delay, but I'm on my way. How are you?"

"I'm alright, but I'm trapped in a cave. And some nasty looking creatures have me cornered." Shiro said, seeing the said creatures peeking through an opening in the cave, hissing and roaring at him while hitting the side of the cave with their thick heads.

"Stay put, I'm on my way." Keith said, panting as he looked at the great distance between himself and the other side of the cliff. "Just have to… figure this out." the young paladin took in a deep breath, trying to come up with a plan. He felt his impatience rising, but quickly remembered Shiro's words.

"Patience yields focus." he said to himself, turning around back to look at the geysers from before.

"That really stayed with you, didn't it?" Shiro said, he couldn't help but smile with a sense of pride.

"You've given me some good advice." Keith said with a slight grunt when he kicked a rock, causinggeyser to burst right in front of him. The rest of his plan took shape in his mind. "If it wasn't for you, my life would have been a lot different."

Shiro cringed at the pain, his wound getting bigger by the minute and his blood pressure becoming lower due to the loss of blood that kept seeping out through the glowing purple scars. "Yeah. You wouldn't have crashed a flying lion on an alien planet and be stuck with little hope of rescue. Not to mention how ticked Allura would be if you didn't get back. So, you're welcome." Shiro joked sarcastically, rough coughs escaped his mouth, having been trying to hold them in.

"Stay with me, Shiro. We'll get out of here." Keith reassured his friend, setting his plan into motion. He activated his bayard sword, carved a triangle shape onto the edge of the cliff, making a geyser burst out, sending Keith flying into the air, surfing on the rock. He laughed victoriously at how well his plan worked.

For about three to five seconds.

The rock he stood one disintegrated as he descended, falling at faster speed to the abyss bellow. Using his jet pack, Keith managed to propel himself up onto the other side of the chasm. He grabbed into the side just as his jet back gave way and pulled himself upwards, proceeding his search for Shiro.

Finally, Keith caught sight of the Black Lion in between another chasm, but once he arrived he saw that a wounded Shiro was now struggling to survive against the lizard creatures. His wound glowed purple, his helmet had fallen off, which was how Keith had lost communication before, and the poor older paladin struggled to even stand. Keith knew he couldn't fight those creatures on his own. They were larger than both men, and strong by the looks of it. Not even Shiro's glowing Galra arm could penetrate through their hard skin.

There was only one other option. It was a long shot, but maybe…

Keith approached the Black Lion, pressing his hand against the giant mechanical cat's nose. "I know I'm not Shiro, but he's in trouble. We need to help him." he begged. This was crazy, Allura made it perfectly clear that the lions choose their paladins, and from the looks of it, only those chosen could pilot them. Would the lion even accept him. It wasn't like Keith was begging to be the leader, he just needed her help this one time and that was it.

Keith hung his head, his brows furrowing, he could hear Shiro's desperate grunts and yells from afar. "Please… I can't do this alone. He's my family. I can't loose him too. Just this once, that's all I ask… just this once." his voice was in a half whisper when he pleaded to the Black Lion for assistance.

Keith's eyes snapped open and the mechanical beast began to move on its own. Lowering its head, the mouth opened. Keith didn't waste another second and rushed inside, taking the controls which obeyed his command. With fierce determination, Keith got the Black Lion to junk right in between Shiro and the reptiles, letting out a powerful roar as the lion slapped them away with its paws.

Shiro stared in awe upon seeing Keith commanding his lion. He always knew Keith was special but, this… this he never would have anticipated.

The reptiles ran away in terror and Keith breathed a sigh of relief. He heard the lion purring from within the cockpit.

"Thank you."

(~)

Coran had already de-aged from a spoiled little four-year-old, and the next impact into the void resulted in him becoming an infant, now cradled in Allura's arms. She managed to calm the crying infant, not that it would do her any good. The endless pattern of the ship flying uncontrollably already felt like second nature to Allura at this point. The void resided up ahead, in no time they would crash once more.

"What are we going to do?" Allura asked, though she knew it was futile to ask an infant that question. "If we hit the end of the tunnel again you'll cease to exist… I'll be trapped and alone again."

The little baby nuzzled in her embrace. Allura remembered when her father would hug her in the same way whenever she felt scared. Sometimes, when he couldn't be around due to Paladin responsibilities, and after her mother had died, Coran would offer her a shoulder to cry on. He had been her protector and guardian for as long as she could remember. He was her family just as much as her parents were.

Once he was gone, Allura would have no one. Who knows how long she would be in this time loop, and the chances of Keith being able to find her this time were highly unlikely. She couldn't reach anyone anymore. The loneliness was already starting to take hold in her heart. Hot salty tears formed in her eyes as she hugged baby Coran.

"I'm sorry. You were like a second father to me." she weeped, "You, our friends… Keith… I'll never see any of you again."

Just when it seemed all hope was lost, something miraculous happened. The castle system locked onto some kind of incoming coordinate. Working like the wind, Allura's heart pounded at a million beats a minute. Another wormhole opened up just as they entered the void, only instead of reentering the same purple vortex as before, they exited into an entirely different location. They were back in space, in what appeared to be some kind of garbage disposal area, but it didn't matter to Allura. They were free!

"We made it!" she said, beaming with such relief and happiness. Everything was back to normal…. including Coran's age. The crown man was cradled in Allura's arms, sleeping soundly while sucking his thumb. Annoyed, Allura dropped him and folded her arms after he called her "Mum".

Yep, everything was back to normal. Despite her annoyance, Allura was just happy to be out of there.

The signal came from Pidge, who had cleverly created a makeshift satellite to send out the green lion's energy to locate them. And she made some adorably fluffy friends as well. With Pidge, the trio got to work in locating the other paladins. The first ones they managed to pinpoint were the Black and Red Lions. Allura held her hands together, hoping to find them both in one piece.

Back on the planet, Keith managed to create a fire for the two of them once he got both lions out of the chasms. He didn't have anything to help with Shiro's wound, but he knew once Allura found them Shiro would be in a healing pod soon enough. Despite this, Shiro did his best to lighten the mood by acting his wound didn't bother him at all.

"Hang in there." said Keith. "When Allura and Coran find us, they'll fix you right up."

"Let's hope they figure out where we are."

"They will." Keith assured him, smiling. "I know Allura, she won't rest until she finds us."

Shiro smiled back, despite looking exhausted, worn and pale. "She's really softened you up, hasn't she? You're a lot more optimistic now."

"I'm sorry I waited so long to tell you guys about her and the lions."

"Well, in your defense, it would have been a bit hard to believe. I mean, I've heard of long distance relationships but, you guys took it to a new level."

The light-hearted humor helped Shiro to forget about his wound, even for a moment. He could see it in Keith's eyes that he wasn't the same rough and tumble orphan he had met. He really had grown into a strong, confident and devoted young man. He wasn't entirely sure where the future would take him, but wherever it was, he had a gut feeling Keith was destined for greatness.

"Keith…" Shiro spoke, his voice raspy and almost out of breath. "If… if I don't make it out of here…. I want you to lead Voltron."

Keith's eyes widened and he felt a knot form in his stomach. What did Shiro mean by that? Was the wound really that bad? Was he seeing his life flash before his eyes, or was he just delirious with the blood loss and exhaustion?

No, Keith refused to believe he was going to leave this planet without him. Shiro was the leader of Voltron, not Keith. What happened with the Black Lion was just a last minute resort. The lion chose Shiro, and that was that. The Red Lion chose Keith, and that was that. There was no switching lions, right? Right?

He… he couldn't be a leader. He wasn't Shiro, he could never be like him.

"Stop talking like that. You're gonna make it." Keith said, trying not to sound like a frightened child. He lost Shiro once, he wasn't going to lose him again.

Thankfully, that day was still long, long times away from now. A portal opened in the sky and the green lion emerged. Allura saw the two on the screen and tears of joy rolled down her cheeks. Keith was alive. He was right there, smiling in relief to see the green lion and the wormhole.

Her eyes fell on Shiro, who looked terribly wounded. A happy reunion would have to be put on hold while they helped him back to the Castle Ship. Once inside, the lions secured in their hangers once more, Shiro was placed inside a healing pod. Before long, the paladin was sound asleep, looking peaceful as the healing began to take effect.

"He should be fine in a few vargas." Coran said. "That wound from Haggar caused a lot of damage and it was pretty deep by the time we arrived."

"The important thing is he's alive." Allura said, taking Keith's hand. "You both are."

"Allura, I'm sorry. I know you said we shouldn't have endangered the universe by using Voltron to save you, but I--" Keith never got to finish his sentence, on account of the pair of soft lips that captured his. He didn't need any more words to understand the message she was giving. He happily kissed her in return, the princess then proceeded to sprinkle his cheek with multiple kisses, happy to have him back.

"It doesn't matter now." She said, her cheek red. "If I were in your position, I would have done the exact same thing. I know I keep saying we have to make sacrifices for the greater good and everything but…" the princess bit her bottom lip before continuing. She didn't have to, for Keith comprehended her words, cupping her cheek with his hand.

"I know." he said softly. Neither of them could bare the thought of loosing the other. "I love you, Allura."

"I love you, too. More than you will ever know."

The two embraced, Allura resting her head on his shoulder, while Pidge smiled at the scene. Her family might still be missing, but if these two could find each other again, twice, then there may still be hope for her family yet.

After all, at the root of it all, family was what thrived most of them to continue fighting this war in the first place. Funny how two people continued to remind the green paladin of that almost every day.

(~)

After locating Lance and Hunk, both of which returned with a story about mermaids and mind controlling sea serpents, the team gathered around Shiro's pod. His wound had healed, but the process wasn't one hundred percent done. The man's browns started twitching and his jaw was clenched. As Hunk placed it, Shiro looked like he was having a nightmare.

When he finally woke up, Shiro was relieved to see his friends before him, all smiling in relief. After he was out, he started talking about a repressed memory from when he was inside the pod. While he was prisoner of the Galra, one of them by the name of Ulaz helped him escape. He remembered hitting his head once he entered the escape pod and that was what kick started his amnesia. He also said he installed some kind of information inside his mechanical hand, though he wasn't sure what it was.

Upon hearing this, Allura's protective walls automatically rose up. The same went for Keith. Why would a Galra help Shiro escape? Maybe he remembered it wrong, or maybe it was some kind of trick.

Pidge connected a wire to Shiro's arm to try and find whatever coordinates were supposed to be stored inside. "I'm not finding anything." Pidge said as she read the words on the screen. "Are you sure this wasn't just a dream?"

"I'm positive." Shiro said. "Someone helped me escape."

"And he was Galra." Allura stated, reminding him of the fact that one of their own enemies supposed assisted him. "You know we can't trust them!"

"Your father must have trusted them once. Zarkon was the original Black Paladin, wasn't he?"

Allura's eyes widened in alarm, her gaze shifted to Keith, who looked just as surprised as she did. He hadn't said a word about this to anyone after she had asked him not to.

"That was a long time ago." Allura said, knowing trying to hide this fact was futile at this point.

"Wait, what?" Lance asked in surprise.

"Didn't you see how he stole the Black Lion right out from under Shiro?" Keith said, "Or that he could do all that cool stuff with his bayard? Shiro's bayard? You know, the black one?"

"Did you know about that too?" Pidge asked, all eyes landing on both the princess and the red paladin. To think, after all that talk about getting Allura back just for them and they were hiding this huge secret behind their backs?

"What is this, a couple's thing? What else are you guys hiding from us, huh?" Lance asked, eyeing the princess suspiciously, "What, is Allura secretly pregnant now too?"

Both Allura and Keith's jaws dropped in horror at the Blue Paladin's assumption, both faces red in embarrassment. The Altean princess fiercely slapped Lance right across the face, so powerfully he was literally thrown across the room, landing hard on his face. Lance rose his finger up to the air.

"Not pregnant. _Definitely_ not pregnant." he groaned, his finger falling to the floor beside him.

"Why didn't you tell us the truth about Zarkon?" Shiro asked the both of them.

Keith wrapped his arm around Allura, defending her. "Don't be too hard on her, Shiro. Allura only wanted to protect you from the paladin's dark history. She wanted all of us to bond with our lions on our own."

Shiro noticed the hurt in Allura's eyes when Keith said that. He recognized that kind of hurt from anywhere. That was the look of pure loss.

"Thank you, Keith. But Shiro's right." Allura said, grateful that Keith would defend her but she knew this responsibility fell upon her shoulders. "I honestly didn't expect Zarkon would be able to reach the Black Lion the way he did. After what happened years ago, I believed Zarkon's bond with the lion had been served. _You_ are the Black Paladin now, Shiro. Not Zarkon."

"Yeah, well the Black Lion may have a different take on the matter." Shiro said. He remembered how week his bond had become when Zarkon took hold. That sting of forceful rejection felt like being strapped onto a torpedo and being shot a million miles per hour out of your parent's home. Only, far, far more tragic, and painful that it sounded.

After some more digging, Pidge finally found the coordinates stored in Shiro's arm. Some place called the Thaldecon system. It didn't take long for Shiro to come to the decision to go there.

"Shiro, are you sure you can trust this?" Keith asked. "After all the Galra have done to you? They took your arm!"

"It's worth the risk. Someone helped me escape. If we can locate some allies in our fight against Zarkon, especially ones from his own side, we might just find a way to take him down."

Allura, on the other hand, agreed with Keith 100%. She too was skeptical about trusting some mysterious Galra they knew nothing about. Even if they did, if he was Galra, then Allura had more than enough reason not to trust him. Still, Shiro was the leader, and she did feel responsible for not having told him the truth about Zarkon, even if she didn't think it mattered anymore. After witnessing what he could do with the Black Lion, it was probably best to let Shiro make this decision. If she didn't agree, no doubt she would never hear the end of it.

"We can check the location, but I do not like this." she said firmly.

(~)

There was no hiding the annoyed look on the princess's face as she prepared to open a wormhole to the location Pidge had found. Keith placed a hand on her shoulder. "I know you don't like this, I don't either, but if what Shiro says is true, then maybe we can at least get some information out of this Galra. Like we did with Sendek."

"Yes, that went swimmingly." Allura said with unsubtle bitterness.

"If anything happens, we'll be ready to defend ourselves." he said with determination then proceeded to kiss her on the cheek. His act of affection was enough to ease her stress, even if for a moment.

With a deep breath, Allura opened the wormhole and they ended up in what appeared to be some kind field filled with floating crystal-like materials that, if they got too close, would cause the ship to explode, along with everyone in it. There appeared to be no one present, but Shiro insisted they wait for a bit longer, much to Allura's dismay.

After a while, the castle's alarms went off! An intruder had entered the castle. Allura's instincts were right, coming here was a mistake. Checking the security cameras, she found the culprit in sector five. The paladins suit up and hurried to down to stop the masked intruder.

All the paladins began to suspect Allura and Keith were onto something. Someone just managed to seamlessly board the castle without anyone knowing. Lance was the first to confront him. The intruder was a tall masked man, muscular yet lean and slender, wearing a full body suit and moving at incredible speed. He had an indigo glow on the outlines of his armor, and his breastplate, and the googles on his mask. He managed to outmaneuver Lance's riffle shots, Pidge's grabbling hook, and past Hunk's laser cannon.

The only one he hadn't faced was Keith, who waited in an empty hallway until the intruder came running in, dragging Pidge along with him by her bayard. Pidge managed to cement herself long enough to hold the intruder at bay, allowing for Keith to come at him with his sword. To his surprise, the opponent pulled out his own sword, both weapons clashed.

Keith's eyes landed on a symbol on the handle of the blade. It was purple with sharp edges, placed right in the center of the handle.

The symbol distracted Keith long enough for his opponent to knock his own bayard out of Keith's hands. He proceeded to fight him hand to hand, only for the stranger to knock Keith back by pulling Pidge and knocking the two paladins down. Keith protectively grabbed Pidge, taking most of the hit himself before going back after the intruder, who dodged the red paladin's punch by grabbing his arm and knocking him back onto Lance and Hunk who appeared from the other end of the hallway.

When Shiro faced him, the intruder stopped. He pulled his blade away, removed his hood and the mask on his face morphed away, revealing a light purple skinned Galra. Shiro immediately recognized him as Ulaz form his memory.

Before he could ask any more questions, Allura came in and pushed the Galra to the wall with one hand without breaking a sweat. The guy was much taller than her, and more muscular, yet she managed to overpower him even faster than the other paladins. Shiro told her he was the Galra who freed him, but the princess wasn't taking any chances. They cuffed his ankles and wrists, despite Shiro's insistence it was unnecessary.

Ulaz explained he was a member of the Blade of Marmora, a renegade group of Galra who hide themselves amongst Zarkon's elite to take him down from the inside, and that is base was located in this location, hidden in a pocket of space time that was invisible to the naked eye. Ulaz explained if they went straight they would enter it.

But Allura refused to comply, and Keith, while he trusted Shiro, too felt this wasn't a smart decision to trust this Galra. The image of that strange symbol remained in his mind, yet a part of him felt everyone would be a lot safer if Ulaz wasn't around. Even Lance, of all people, agreed with Keith. Pidge also agreed, theorizing the memory Shiro saw could have been fake, implanted by the Galra.

All of their opinions reached deff ears, Shiro refused to leave unless they got the answers he was looking for. He still believed Ulaz held the key to uncovering more about Zarkon. Keith and Allura both shared similar concerns. Coran did say he detected something cloaked in front of them, so Ulaz could be telling the truth, or he could be leading them into a trap.

Never the less, Shiro stood firmly on his beliefs, and since he was the leader, both princess and paladin felt it was a loosing battle to negotiate with him, regardless of their own concerns. Allura reluctantly complied and, sure enough, Ulaz was indeed telling the truth. A secret base really was a communication base hidden inside a space pocket. Ulaz requested release to send a message to the leading ship that he made contact with Voltron.

Allura saw for herself that Ulaz was telling the truth about the base, but her walls had not yet lowered. Allura asked Keith and Shiro to go with him while she remained in the ship. Even if she didn't say it out loud, she did so in case there was an emergency and they had to attack. Hunk and Pidge asked to go, the green paladin eager to see how they created this space pocket, while Lance stayed behind, not wanting to go near any Galra base. He may not have the same burning hatred towards them as Keith and Allura had, but the very idea of going into a base _willingly_ made his skin crawl.

As they made their way towards the Red Lion to take them there, Allura stopped Keith, grabbing his arm, waiting till Ulaz and Shiro were far enough away as she spoke. "I still don't have a good feeling about him." she said. "Contact me the moment he does anything suspicious."

Keith's eyes darted back to Ulaz and Shiro. While he too remained skeptical, after witnessing that he was telling the truth about the base, maybe, just maybe, he could possibly be trusted, and if Shiro's memory was real, then could there be good Galra? He had seen nothing but their dark side for so long, seeing what they did to Allura's family, the universe and witnessing for himself just how scarring the memory of their sins were on her mind. But, could it be possible he was only looking at one side?

The symbol flashed before his eyes. Something about it trigged something in his mind, something in his senses. Maybe Shiro wasn't the only one who had questions.

Keith didn't feel now was the time to debate with his girlfriend on wether or not Ulaz was a good Galra or not, and even if he was telling the truth now, that didn't mean he wasn't just luring them in with a false sense of security. They still didn't know anything about him aside from what little Shiro did know. For now, it was best to keep his guard up.

He nodded. "I will." he said. Allura's stone cold expression softened and she hugged her paladin.

"Be careful." she whispered into his ear, then kissed his cheek. Their fingers brushed against the others, only separating once he walked back towards the three paladins and Galra. Ulaz looked at Keith then back at Allura, having witnessed the exchange between them.

And the deadly look the princess gave him.

(~)

Keith piloted the Red Lion near the base, where Ulaz demonstrated the gravity generator that created the space time fold that hid the base, created by a genius engineer by the name of Slav.

"His technology allows the Blade of Marmora to remain hidden while we work to take down the Galra Empire. Zarkon would do anything to get his hands on this technology." Ulaz said.

"So, there are Galra out there that aren't loyal to Zarkon?" Keith questioned out loud. He had never heard about this Blade of Marmora, and Allura never spoke of it either, and they held no secrets from each other when it came to these types of matters. They never did, then again, it was often difficult to hide secrets when in an Astral Plane where literally anything you think of manifests itself.

"We thought expanding the Galra Empire would bring stability." Ulaz explained, his nose crinkling in anger. "We learned too late that tyrant doesn't seek stability. Only power."

Keith could catch the sincerity in his voice. That anger towards Zarkon was no different than the anger Allura carried towards him. Unless Galra were really good actors, so far, Ulaz appeared to be the real deal.

So, if it was possible that there were Galra who rebelled against Zarkon's rule then… maybe he and Allura were wrong about them? Could it be that they based their entire opinion on a single race based on the mistakes of one? In their defense, the majority, if not every Galra they had faced up until now was evil and murderous, so it really wasn't that big of a stretch. Not to mention, destroying your girlfriend's entire home planet definitely would not put anyone on any Best Friend's List, if Keith had any.

Once they entered the base, more and more of Keith's assumptions of the Galra continued to fade and crumble the more Ulaz explained his side.

"With our members working on the inside, planning coordinated attacks with Voltron we may finally have the chance."

"So you have agents working within Zarkon's ranks?" Hunk asked.

"How do you think you got away from Zarkon in that last fight? You think those shields around Zarkon's command center went down on their own? We've got people risking their lives in this war, just like you."

Keith's eyes widened. He remembered that fight. There was no explanation as to how or why those shields went down. Only someone from the inside could have done that. He hand't thought about it since but… then, the Blade of Marmora really have helped them? They really were on Voltron's side after all?

"If you have people on the inside can they tell me where my family is?" Pidge asked. Already, she was trusting the Galra enough to ask on wether or not he knew anything on her family.

"I knew others from earth who were captured, but I never saw them. I have some records of Galra prisoners here. I can transmit them to your ship." Ulaz offered kindly. Even his tone was a complete contrast from the other Galra Keith had encountered. He was kind and patient, even empathetic with the young female paladin, generously offering her information to find her family.

The sight of the symbol from the blade caught his eye again. "What's that weapon you carry?" he asked.

Ulaz removed it. Unlike before, it resembled a simple, elegant knife, the glowing mark embedded onto its handle. "It's a ceremonial blade." Ulaz explained. "Each member of our order carries."

"Mm. Nice." Keith said causally.

The alarm went off and an image appeared on screen. It was evidently Galra, some kind of small ship approaching them.

"You were tracked!" Ulaz said, "Zarkon knows you're here!"

And just like that, Keith's defensive walls came back up again. Maybe he really was naive to fall for Ulaz's nice guy act. Maybe he allowed his soft heart to get the better of him. He was close to sinking into that mind trap, thankfully he wasn't in too deep so he managed to pull himself back up, ready to attack him with his bayard.

"If Zarkon knows we're here, it's because you ratted us out!"

The supposed ship came in closer, only it wasn't a ship but one of Zarkon's robotic beasts, or as Hunk now called them, Robeasts. Before they left, Ulaz handed Shiro a hard-drive which contained coordinates to the Blade of Marmora's home base, but warned him not to go until they discovered who was tracking them, or risk loosing their only Galra allies in the process.

The paladins hurried onto the Red Lion and returned to the Castle, quickly getting onto their lions and waited until the Robeast attacked first. They suspected if they remained within the pocket they would remain unseen.

Upon discovering the Robeast, Allura was quick to accuse Ulaz of revealing their location to Zarkon, ignoring Shiro's insistence that it wasn't him. Keith, on the other hand, remained silent. He wasn't entirely sure what to believe at this point. Whatever got them out of this current predicament is the only thing he would put his faith and trust in right now.

The Robeast opened its massive mouth and started sucking in the explosive crystals into its mouth, using them as ammo to unleash a deadly beam that caused anything it touched to detonate in an instant. It locked onto the location of the castle hidden within the pocket, striking the surface. The beams went right through, narrowly missing the castle. The Robeast began sucking in more crystals and the castle with them.

The lions launched out and formed Voltron, which emerged from behind the crystals, slamming right into the beast. The space pocket had lowered, leaving the castle and the base completely exposed. Allura and Coran saw Ulaz's space pod exit the base and flying away from the fight. The princess narrowed her eyes, her already existing hatred towards the Galra amplified seeing the cowards run in fear.

Even Keith saw him leave from his cockpit. He clenched the controls tightly his knuckles turned white underneath his gloves. He should have known never to trust a Galra after all. Allura was right.

Rather than dwell on that, Keith put all of his energy into fighting the beast which, much like the previous one, proved to be a very formidable opponent. The Robeast continued sucking in more crystals to power up his death ray while Voltron used everything in their power to fight him back. More than since the giant robot was close to being sucked in as well. The Alteans came to their aid with the caste's laser beams, and Voltron attempted to stop the beam by covering the creature's mouth with their own shield, pushing him into one of the crystals where it exploded in a fiery haze. Only, the Robeast emerged unharmed and attacked again. No matter what they did, the creature always had the upper hand and attempted to suck Voltron in again.

From their intercoms the paladins heard the voice of Ulaz, piloting his ship with the gravity generator towards the Robeast.

"I'm going to take it down from the inside!"

"Ulaz, no! Let us handle this!" Shiro shouted.

"Voltron is too valuable! The universe needs you."

Ulaz ignored Shiro's protests and went straight into the Robeast's mouth. The Galra rebel closed his eyes, readily, and humbly, embracing what came next.

For a while, nothing happened, until the Robeast started twitching and sucking into itself, turning into a crumpled pile of metal. Ulaz had activated the space pocket from the inside, causing the Robeast to close in on itself. Once it had sucked in entirely, it disappeared an a massive purple explosion went off, illuminating the area of space, its light reflecting off of the floating crystals.

The paladins, and Alteans, watched the light slowly diminish. Pidge, Lance and Hunk all smiled in gratitude for Ulaz's sacrifice, Keith was… speechless aside from voicing out the obvious.

Ulaz saved them.

Shiro, on the other hand, was remorseful. Ulaz being Galra didn't matter to him in the least, his actions spoke louder than anything his own kind did.

As for Allura… she didn't know what to say or think.

She saw him dive into the Robeast's mouth. She saw him activate the space pocket to destroy it. She saw him die right then and there. Nobody could possibly survive that. Unless somehow, someway, Ulaz managed to escape long before impact but they didn't see anything, similar to when Sendak escaped his ship before it was destroyed when Voltron battled him back on Arus. After all, Galra were rather good at out maneuvering and out thinking their opponents. She wouldn't place this type of trickery past them.

For all she knew, this entire scene could have been nothing but an elaborate trick. She wasn't entirely sure. Still, when she saw him die, something inside her said this was genuine. Or, it might have been.

The princess felt a mixture of confusion and anger. If what Ulaz said was true and there really were good Galra, then why have they waited this long to stop him? It's been ten thousand years, would they really be willing to wait this long to finally take action? Even if they didn't participate in the conquering of planets, they certainly didn't do a fine job at stopping them.

A part of her knew she was behaving coldly and unfair, but the anger she felt for the Galra, the pain of loosing her entire family was still too grate. It would take a lot more than one good deed to make up for years, upon years, upon years of oppression, death and loneliness.

As for Ulaz… well… even if she still didn't entirely know where she stood in her opinion of him, there was one thing she was sure of.

If he really wasn't who he claimed to be and this really was all a ploy to lure them into a false sense of security… then she would feel like the biggest fool for ever feeling any once of remorse for him.

Like she felt right now.

(~)

Out of everyone, Shiro was probably the most devastated about Ulaz's death. Keith approached him inside a dark lit room, overlooking where the space pocket once was. "Sorry we doubted Ulaz, Shiro. He saved all our lives."

"I still have so many questions."

"_You're not the only one_." Keith thought to himself. "Do you think Zarkon is really tracking us?"

The doors slid open and Allura walked in. "We can not know for sure. Only Ulaz knew our whereabouts."

Shiro turned to face the princess. "You don't really think Ulaz gave us up, do you? After he sacrificed himself?"

Feeling the tension between both of them, Keith tried to reason with his girlfriend. "Allura, we all saw it. You saw it. For all we know, Zarkon probably found out about this place on his own. He's probably searching for the Blade of Marmora."

In a way, Keith was genuinely surprised that, even after everything they had just witnessed, Allura was still hesitant to fully trust Ulaz. He understood part of her hesitation due to history and past experiences, but how else could she dance around the fact a Galra just died to save them?

In reality, Allura didn't say that as a means to point fingers. She was merely stating the truth. Ulaz did know where they were, and there was still no certainty as to how they were found. There was no end to the secrets Zarkon carried.

"It is clear the loss of Ulaz has cost you great concern and… I'm sorry for that." she said sincerely, despite her furrowed brows. "But regardless of how Zarkon located us we cannot stay here any longer. It isn't safe."

"We should meet with the rest of Ulaz's group. Finish what we started." Keith suggested.

Shiro shook his head. "No. We're not going to the headquarters until we figure out how Zarkon found us. We can't risk loosing the only allies we have in this war."

Allura didn't say a word, but rather nodded in agreement. Her face was still tensed, no doubt she had been struggling to restrain all of that bottled up anger. Keith knew her well enough to know she was putting on the regal mask to hide how she was truly feeling. Something they both had in common. Masking their true feelings when things got serious. Placing their own concerns back for the sake of the mission. While noble, could be very stressful.

Keith's hand instinctively reached up, his mouth open but the words never came out once the doors slid to a close. He turned to Shiro, wondering if he still needed to inform him on anything else of importance. The Black paladin nodded his head, informing Keith it was alright to leave. He quickly caught up with her in the hallway.

"Allura, wait."

She stopped in her tracks to face Keith. Her expression partly softened. She was still carrying a lot, but Keith was always there to lend an ear to listen. Why should now be any different.

"Look, I know how you feel about the Galra. I didn't want to trust Ulaz either but, after everything we've seen, maybe we were wrong. You saw what happened."

"I saw it, and I won't deny it either. But, for all we know, he could have easily escaped before the explosion. Remember how Sendak managed to escape his battle ship before Voltron destroyed it?"

"And what if he didn't? What would you think of him then?" Keith asked.Allura remained silent.

It was no surprise that Allura was a strong-willed woman, stubborn even, but this… this was a side of her Keith wasn't entirely sure he had seen before. Maybe he had but, never to this extreme. The warm, kind-hearted, yet lion-hearted princess he knew and loved was now cold and harsh. She didn't deny Ulaz's sacrifice, but she still wasn't quick to fully believe it was genuine. She made a good point, but what if it wasn't true? It wouldn't be the first time a Galra gained the upper hand.

"It's been an exhausting day." Allura said, her voice lowering. "I think we all deserve some rest."

By the looks of it, Allura really wasn't in the mood to talk about this. In all honestly, the last thing Keith wanted was to start an argument, especially after everything that's happened. Maybe a good night's sleep would clear things up for both of them and they could talk it out with clear minds. The last thing he wanted was to say something he would regret.

"You're right." he said.

Allura kissed his cheek before walking down the hallway towards her chambers. That night, Keith had a hard time getting himself to rest. He sat on the corner of his bed, looking down at the blade he had carried with him for years. The same blade he showed Allura. With everything going on, the mystery behind it had faded into the back of their minds. But after today, it was the only thing on his mind. He undid the wrappings around the handle, revealing the glimmering stone with the glowing symbol.

There was no mistaking it… it was the exact same symbol as the Blade of Marmora.

As if learning not all Galra were evil wasn't jarring for him enough, now he realizes he was in possession of a knife that was exclusive only to those of a secret alien society? How was that even possible? How did his parents get their hands on it? How did it wind up on earth to begin with?

There was still a lot of mystery surrounding the order, when they were founded and for how long they have been active, but clearly they must have been for as long as earth had been around, or at the very least around during several earth years.

But most of all, what connection did Keith's family have with the Blade of Marmora? What connection did he have with the Galra? Could these good Galra help him find the answers?

At the exact same time, Allura brushed her long hair while sitting on the corner of her bed. Her hands moving in a silent rhythm, her mind drifting back to what Keith had said. He was so ready to trust this Blade of Marmora, yet they still didn't know anything about them other than they weren't aligned with Zarkon. Things were just so confusing right now, especially for that fact that, deep down…. Allura felt mournful over the possibly real death of Ulaz. And if it turns out he was nothing more than another deceiver, then she would feel even more of a fool.

No matter how she spun it, the very image of those monsters only fueled the burning flame that was her anger. Her grief was still too strong for her to be able to completely rely on them, if at all. If they could be allies, she would only trust them so long as Shiro and the other paladins did. That didn't mean she had to befriend them. After all, aside from her desire to save the people of the universe from centuries of slavery, her anger towards Zarkon was one of the thriving forces she had to keep fighting.

Keith and Allura weren't fully aware of it at the time, but it was at that moment…A rift had started to form between them.


	14. Chapter 14

_He never imagined he could open up to someone the way he opened up to Allura. He told her about his past, his father and his outstretching desire to find a place where he could call home._

_Keith poured out most of his soul that day, and Allura listened attentively through it all. At times, she would reach out and grab his hand, stroking the surface with her thumb. Even before they became an official pair Allura grew more and more bold when it came to physical contact as their time together increased._

_That was the moment Keith knew he could confined in Allura on anything that ailed him, and vice versa. Their relationship was built upon mutual trust, honesty and respect._

_When did that suddenly start to change?…_

_ (~) _

It was a slow day for the paladins, but they were still wary over any possible attack by Zarkon. The group kept their guard up almost twenty four seven, even while doing repairs to the castle from the outside. After some issues, and the humans's inability to fully comprehend Altean engineering speak, Pidge was able to fix the issue before the entire thing blew up to smithereens.

The green paladin wouldn't stop gushing over the elegant structure and workings of the Castle Ship. Her tone was akin to that of a young girl swooning over a new pair of shoes. From inside the ship, Allura grinned cockily. It felt nice to have her ancestor's hard work be appreciated.

But, even with these troubling times the paladins somehow managed to find some time to unwind and just behave like the fun-loving young adults they were. Their chance came in the form of squishy asteroids with luminescent centers suddenly appeared, splattering all over their armor. Shiro was ready to evacuate the team out of there, but Lance instead threw one like a snowball at his head.

"Oh, sorry, Shiro! I was trying to hit Keith." Lance said, his helmet them getting covered in the squishy asteroid, curtesy of Keith who threw it directly at his face.

The Red Paladin chuckled and Hunk eagerly grabbed two in his hands. "Squishy asteroid fight!" he shouted. Allura would normally school the paladins for behaving in such an immature manner, but she couldn't resist the chuckles that escaped her lips. Their laughter was just contagious, especially Keith's every time he struck Lance right in the face. She could tell he was enjoying himself. The scene brought back memories to when he first introduced her to snowball fights in the Astral Plane.

After their little game the paladins were washed clean, while still in their armor, for any possible contamination from the spores. Pidge, in particular, found something unusual about them and carried one in a tube in order to analyze it.

After they had cleaned themselves up, Keith retreated back to his chambers. Yet, the other paladins quickly noticed something as very off about him. His interactions with his girlfriend today were… different.

They did the usual routine; a kiss good morning, exchange smiles, say a few sweet words, it was all there, only, Keith's behavior wasn't as… flirtatious as usual.

While Lance was, without question, the Wannabe-Cassanova of the entire group, and Keith was the hot-blooded lone wolf who kept to himself most of the time, he didn't really hold back when it came to showing Allura affection. Compared to Lance's flirting, Keith's were more innocent, sprinkled with inside jokes only the two of them would understand. Today, they were more subdued, restraint even.

Allura caught wind of this, but Keith reassured her it was nothing for her to worry about and that he just had a rough night. Thankfully, that wasn't a lie. Not even a half truth. Keith barely slept the night before. The symbol of his blade kept popping in and out of his dreams. He tossed and turned so much he was woken up only when he fell right off the bed, hitting the back of his head. He hasn't sleept since.

With his jacket laid out beside him, Keith sat dejectedly, staring at the reflection of his indigo eyes on the shinny blade. What felt like a long time ago, both Keith and Allura concluded that this symbol was not of earth. They just never imagined it could be linked to the Galra somehow. Or rather, a rebel league of Galra determined to take down Zarkon. The only information Keith knew about this blade was that it was given to him by his father.

Had the Galra already gone to earth before and the Blade somehow managed to stop them from conquering it? Was Keith's father aligned with the Blade somehow? Could there be other non-Galra members?

There was very little Keith knew about his family, only that he had a father and a mother, though he had very little memory of the latter. The lack of specific, small details of his past were enough to convince Keith that there had to be something, somewhere this little blade fit into all of this.

The sound of his door opening made him gasp and quickly hide the blade under his pillow. Thankfully, his uninvited guest didn't see it. Coran was far too occupied with something else.

"Keith, did you happen to see a mouse come through here? He has something of mine."

"Uh, no."

"I'll find you, Platt." Coran muttered bitterly as he walked out, the little scanner in his hand beeping.

Keith didn't like keeping this kind of information away from the others, especially from Allura, but after their last conversation about Ulaz he was hesitant to bring up the possibility of having a link to the Blade of Marmora, or Galra in general. He needed to have more information first before he jumped to conclusions.

Keith sprung out of his bed and ran out to catch up to the male Altean. "Wait, Coran. Do you think the Galra ever went to earth? Is that possible? I mean, they would have taken it over right?"

"Oh, I think you'd know if the Galra were there."

"The Blue Lion was there. Is it possible they somehow managed to figure out where it was but left because they couldn't find it? We only did when Lance was there."

"Hey, why are you asking about my lion? How many lions do you need?" Lance asked, stepping out of his room, wearing his sleeping robe and a green mask on his face, added with a towel over his head. He folded his arms and eyed Keith as if he had just had something precious stolen from him and Keith was the prime suspect.

"What? No, I-I was just--"

"Don't, "What? No, I-I was just--" Me! You've had your eye on the Blue Lion from day one!" Lance said, poking a finger at Keith's chest.

"Well, yeah. It's the first one we found."

"Ap, ap, ap! The Blue Lion's with me! And we're very happy together! Very happy!" with that, Lance stepped back into his room, letting the doors close shut in front of him. Keith and Coran only stood there, perplexed at the Blue Paladin's jealous rant.

Pidge managed to crack the code from the spore from earlier. It was a distress signal from the planet Olkarion. A race of highly advanced engineers who could mold technology with a wave of their hand. In a sense, they were, literal, Tech Wizards.

Needles to say, Pidge was more than excited to see their highly advanced city. Sadly for her, the distress signal was not coming from the planet's city but its forest. While Pidge's lion was associated with nature, the young paladin was far from being the outdoorsy type. If anything, she hatted it. The sunburn and poison oak were detestable to her. She shuddered at unpleasant memories of camping with her family. It was her first and last experience sleeping in a tent.

Keith, on the other hand, had a very different take on the matter. Much like Allura, he loved the outdoors. The serene sounds of the rustling leafs, rippling streams and the harmonic sounds of crickets at night with the unmatched melodies of daytime birds was his idea of paradise. A few of the flowers from outside his window even reminded him a bit of the juniperberry fields from the Astral Plane. Allura's favorite flower, and one of the many things that reminded her of her beloved Altean childhood.

Unfortunately, as it is for the paladins, this was not a vacation. The Olkari had lowered the lions down with special arrows. Once they saw the lions they cheered upon having Voltron on their home planet. One elderly Olkari, named Ryner explained their dire situation to team Voltron.

The glare had enslaved their people and forced those in the city to work for them, taking their King Lubos hostage as a result. Those who managed to escape retreated to the forest where they used nature to their advantage. Using trees, twigs and flowers to create weapons and objects fro everyday usage. Even Pidge found it fascinating.

Keith was especially amazed when he saw young Olkari teenagers turn a beautiful red flower, which reminded him of the roses from earth, into arm cannons. They worked like a dream, and he would admit it was pretty good, and the floral design of the cannon was a true work of art. Despite its mechanical transformation, it still held the same artistic natural beauty that made flowers one of the crown jewels of Mother Nature's plant life creations.

Voltron, naturally, offered to help, coming up with a plan to free the king. On their way, they saw what the Galra were planing. They were forcing the Olkari to build some kind of massive weapon, using the poor creatures as slaves. Shiro came up with a plan to free the king. Pidge would pilot the green lion, using its cloaking devices as an invisible get away car, while the rest of the paladins snuck inside.

To say they were surprised is an understatement.

King Lubos had willingly helped the Galra to enslave his people in exchange for his life and comfortable living arrangement with free food and television, and an ensemble of Galra body guards to boot. Lubos claimed he did it so the Olkari wouldn't die from fighting the Galra, but the paladins saw right through him. He couldn't be even more obvious if he were wearing a transparent veil over his head.

Keith could feel his blood boil to such high levels his Bayard formed into a sword before he could even comprehend what he just did. This glutinous, lazy, unacceptable excuse for a king was living in luxury while his people were being worked to the bone or forced to abandon the city. No true leader would sacrifice the good of his people for his own benefits.

A rage that was all too familiar to Keith took over. The assistance of the king's former Olkari slave, who he too had had enough of the lies, pushed the king towards the Red Paladin and held his sword to his neck. Shiro, Lance and Hunk stared wide eyed with jaws dropped. They knew Keith was aggressive but this was a tad much.

There were a lot of things that infuriated Keith. A faux leader was one the top five that managed to push his buttons.

Before a fight could commence, Pidge arrived in the nick of time and the paladins made a break for it, with the king in tow. The Olkari were devastated to learn the truth, but they were not only giftedly intelligent and resourceful, but they were strong in spirit. Rather than cry about their no good king, the Olkari were more than ready to fight against this super weapon.

The lions formed Voltron and fought the now operational weapon, which was a massive cube that could replicate their powers, and duplicate every time they sliced it. The lions were getting their tails kicked every step of the way, with or without Voltron.

One paladin in particular was hit badly.

Pidge was hurled into the ground, her lion badly damaged. Ryder and her fellow Okarians reached out to Pidge, reminding her that despite their differences, them, the plants, the lions, the paladins, they were all the same. Made of the same cosmic dust. Once Pidge realized this, she was able to not only form a stronger bond with her lion, but also learned a new power. A cannon that could make roots grow. They were so strong that when the cube replicated them, they twisted and crushed the surface while weighting them down to the ground. The rest of the Olkari chased their Galra abusers when they charged into the city in massive numbers with all of their nature based weapons. Before long, there was not a single Galra ship to be seen.

After the fight, Pidge thanked Ryder for not only helping them, but also for her wisdom. Pidge now had a much greater appreciation for nature, realizing how important it was. As it would seem, there were more ways to connecting with people that didn't necessarily involve a computer.

"We're all made up of the same cosmic dust." Pidge said once they were all safely back on the ship, rethinking their experience on the Olkari planet. Her words struck a cord with Keith.

While he managed to keep himself focused on the task at hand, every time the word "Galra" was brought up, it made his stomach twist like a pretzel. Keith was having a hard time believing how he went from hating the Galra with a passion to actually hoping they could be good?

One thing he was certain of, his family had some kind of connection to them. How and why was still a mystery. But, the way Pidge spoke, saying that, at the core, we're all one in the same, somehow rekindled some small spark of hope that, maybe this wasn't such a bad thing. Maybe Allura would be okay with it if she only saw that not all Galra were evil like Zarkon. It may sound a bit idealistic even in Keith's mind but, if they all came together, then Zarkon wouldn't stand a chance. This could possibly change everything, maybe even the way they fight in this war.

"So, that means we're all related." he said, staring out into the stars. All thoughts of his knife and the Blade of Marmora came flooding back. "This ship, those stars, the Olkari… even the Galra."

"Oh, oh." Hunk said, snapping the Red Paladin from his thoughts. "I think Keith just blew his own mind."

Keith turned away, crossing his arms, praying they didn't see the tint of red in his face. They probably did given how hot his face felt as they good-heartedly laughed. It got even hotter when Allura affectionately kissed his cheek, added with a giggle.

"Actually, I find this profound side of you quite charming." she said. He knew she was trying to make him feel better, but even so he knew she still meant it. Allura was never gave him a compliment without some truth backing it up. He could already feel his worries slowly slipping away.

But, their calm moment didn't last long. Before any of them could comprehend what just happened, Zarkon's central command ship manifested before them, along with his entire fleet. Just when Keith had gained some glimmer of hope that the Galra could be allies, they show up wanting to kill them.

"Zarkon! How did he find us?" Allura asked, her hand still held in Keith's.

"His commanders must have radioed him from Olkarion." Keith said.

The paladins and Alteans worked together at both evading the Galra fleet, and shooting everything they had at them. They had to get farther enough away fro Allura to activate a wormhole, but the large number of fighter ships, Lance and Keith bickering, and Hunk being too tired to even see his screen made it more difficult than it already was.

Shiro empathized with his teammates exhaustion, but like the leader he was, he pushed through it and tired to give them the motivation they needed. "We gotta stay focused, just until we jump!"

"And when is that?!" Lance asked, already sweating at the hundreds of Galra lasers shooting at them, bouncing off of the Castle Ship's particle barrier.

"They're still too close!" Coran shouted. "We need to gain more speed!"

"I've got an idea. Hold on!" Allura said, forcing the ship to go even faster than before directly towards a nearby moon. The paladins were pushed back against their seats. They could almost feel the wind in their faces, despite the fact that they were inside the castle and there was no wind in space.

"Allura, what are you doing?!" Pidge cried out, already feeling nacreous from the ship's movement, which was reminiscent of that of a ship at rapid seas.

"I'm going to use this moon's gravity to gain speed and put some distance between us and Zarkon!"

"Good thinking." Keith said, a small smile formed across his lips, which made Allura smile in return.

"Less flirting more escaping!" Lance called out, lashing out more so out of stress than anything.

The paladins and Alteas held on tightly to their seats and controls as the ship picked up more speed. Once they were far enough away, Allura used her energy to create a wormhole. As they went through the wormhole, the castle was still beeping as if they were still under attack.

"Oh, no! Teladuve lens malfunction!" Coran cried out, looking at his glowing red screen. "We're about to exit this wormhole sooner than we planned."

Just as he said, the castle exited onto the other side of the wormhole in an almost deserted area in space where before them floated a sea of slow moving iceberg looking rocks. Allura was already sweating, her legs felt like they would break and her vision was becoming clouded.

"Coran… what's the status?" she breathed, rubbing her forehead. His words were almost mute in her ears.

"We didn't make it to our exit point but we're several galaxies away from Zarkon's fleet."

Allura barely heard his words as she collapsed to the floor. She couldn't felt her feet and her vision was still blurry but slowly stabilizing. She heard the converged voices of her caretaker and boyfriend.

"Allura!" Keith hurried to her side, wrapping his arms around her. She sat upright, learning her head and upper body against Keith's. He gently wiped the sweat from her forehead and face. Her eyes fluttered and she could see the concerned, beautiful eyes of her Red Paladin. The rest of the team circled around her, looking equally concerned.

"Give her some space." Keith said, trying to keep his voice even. "She's exhausted."

Allura slowly shook her head, "N-No, I'm fine." a tired groan and sigh escaped her mouth before she could stop it. She wasn't fooling anyone, not even herself.

"Take it easy." said Keith compassionately.

"Keith's right." said Coran. "You must rest. You've been exerting way too much energy." he got back up to check the situation which caused their wormhole mishap, only to suddenly slip and crash into the wall. Right then and there, Coran began emitting shinny liquid from his body.

Allura managed to sit upright, Keith still by her side, and diagnosed that Coran had a common Altean virus known as the "Slipperies", which occurred to older Alteas, much like Coran. The paladins felt sick to their stomachs to learn that the slippery waters that kept oozing out of Coran was in fact sweat. Pidge even had to run into a corner to vomit. Coran, unwilling to admit his condition, walked out of the room.

Or rather, he slid out of the room. On the upside he did manage to reach the control room faster than was expected. The lenses from the beam generator that were used to convert Altean energy into the fuel needed to create the wormhole and it would take at least a day to fix it. With that, Shiro suggested to the rest of the team to get a good night's rest. Those were probably the nicest words Shiro has said to them all day.

Keith helped Allura back to her feet and led her to her room to get some rest. "Don't worry, Keith. I'll be fine in a bit." Allura insisted once they reached her room and she sat on the side of her bed.

He crossed his arms, arching an eyebrow and smirked knowingly. "Nice try, but you heard Coran. You need to rest after using up all of that energy."

"How can I rest when Zarkon is still out there? For all we know he could be on his way towards us right now!" Allura folded her arms over her chest, looking every bit like the frustrated teenager she was.

Keith sat down beside her, gently taking her hand. "I know you're worried, we all are. But if we continue to fight like this we have a greater risk of being obliterated by Zarkon than we will escaping him. I hate running just as much as you do, but you can't keep pushing yourself--"

"I'm not helpless!" Allura snapped. Keith jerked back, more so at her words than her outburst.She gave him a look of regret. "Keith, I-I'm sorry! I didn't mean it."

"It's okay." Keith replied, still a bit startled.

"No, it's not. I apreciate you worrying about my well being, really." she looked down at her hands, fiddling with the edge of her bed sheets. "It's just, the Galra have done too much damage already. I feel like any moment we waste is another moment they could be destroying more lives."

The relief that came with Pidge's revelation back on Olkarion couldn't sink any faster if he were standing on quicksand. He should have realized it would take a lot more than a few inspirational words to make her change her mind. Keith pushed his own issues aside for now, focusing more on the exhausted princess. He cupped her left cheek, gently lifting her face up to look at him. He smiled.

"That's one of the many things I love about you. You're so independent and selfless." his words made her blush. "I understand we have a responsibility to the universe, which is why we should make sure we'll be ready to fight Zarkon when the time comes. We won't be able to if we're worn out."

Allura chuckled. "You're starting to sound like Shiro."

Keith couldn't help but chuckle as well. He may have learned a lot from Shiro, but he knew he could never be exactly like him. "Maybe that's what makes him such a good leader. He cares about everyone. He understands how important we all are to this team." he learned in further, placing a sweet kiss on her lips. "And how important you are to me."

Allura gave his hand a squeeze, their foreheads pressed together, the tips of their noses touching. She could never stay angry with him, if at all. He respected her decisions and her goals, but the reality of it was that, much like herself, Keith couldn't bare the thought of loosing her. Her exhaustion wasn't letting her think straight and she lashed out without realizing what she was saying.

Maybe it was best if she rested. Maybe once she woke up everything would be alright. They could fight Zarkon and they would win next time. He knew Allura was capable of handling herself, but when you're a man in love, being protective over your girlfriend's well being was something that came with the package deal.

Allura let out a breath she wasn't even aware she was holding. "Alright. I'll try and get some sleep." she reeled back a bit, poking her finger at Keith's shoulder, "But the moment I awake, we are getting straight back to work. Got it?"

Keith held out his hands in surrender. "Loud and clear, babe."

Allura laughed and the two shared another kiss before Keith left the room. He winked at her and closed the door. Once he was gone, Allura let out a large and loud yawn. Maybe some sleep was exactly what she needed.

Or not…

Throughout the night, Allura kept tossing and turning in her sleep. She couldn't shake the image of Zarkon from her dreams. His diabolical glowing purple eyes, his massive size towering over her, and her being unable to fight. In her dreams she was not only tired, but week, frail and small.

"_You can never defeat me_." the Zarkon in her nightmares cackled. "_You and your paladins will fall. Just like your father before you._"

"_No!_" Allura cried out. Zarkon held out a crystal ball, seeing an image of her father, crying out for help.

"_Allura! Help me!_" he cried only for Zarkon to crush the ball in his hands. Behind him she saw the paladins, along with Coran. Chained together and sinking in a pool of lava that burned the skin right off of their bones.

The very last paladin standing was Keith. Only rather than melt away, his entire body was being sucked into a black hole. One which didn't lead to anywhere but a realm of darkness where she felt he would be tortured for the rest of his days.

"_Allura!_"

"_NO!_"

Allura woke up with a jolt, screaming and sweating. The sight of her loved ones dying in the hands of Zarkon was something she often saw in her slumber, though they had never been as strong as this. Now knowing that Zarkon was able to locate them so easily, who knows when and how he would find them again.

She got up, put her long hair into her signature bun and her full body suit. She looked at herself in the mirror. She still had faint bangs under her eyes and her face looked paler than normal. She wasn't feeling one hundred percent and she knew that, but she wasn't going to be able to rest like this.

"I'm sorry, Keith." she whispered and left her room.

At the exact same time Allura was having her nightmare, Keith wasn't sleeping well either. Another restless night drained him of the energy he was supposed to have gained from sleeping. He saw visions of his knife, a vision of Ulaz sacrificing himself, only then to see more Galra ships, destroying every single planet in sight. The sound of their demonic laughter boomed in his ears.

Keith tried to move but found that his feet were glued to the floor. He was wearing some kind of full body armor, but it wasn't his Paladin suit… it was that of a Galra soldier.

"_You fight like a Galra soldier._" Zarkon's voice said out of nowhere. Keith felt it difficult to breath and he saw visions of his friends being strapped to chairs. They weren't moving. Their bodies sat limply on the chairs. Their armor broken to pieces and bruises and cuts were seen all over their bodies. Another corner of the room lit Keith saw Zarkon, holding a very week looking Allura hostage. She looked exactly as she did when she nearly passed out earlier. Frail, week and ashamed she couldn't fight back.

"_They would never trust a betrayer._" Zarkon said, his voice low and taunting him every step of the way.

Keith gripped his throat. He couldn't utter a word no matter how hard he tried. With a wave of his hand, Zarkon magically made the chairs electrocute the other paladins. They screamed in pain and Keith was helpless to do anything. He couldn't even reach Allura, who couldn't fight no matter how much she wanted to. The screams of his fellow paladins rang so loudly in his ears Keith felt he would do deff.

"NO!" just like Allura, Keith woke up with a jolt, breathing heavily. His fingers traced across the surface of the knife beside him. He had forgotten it was there.

What did Zarkon mean, betraying his team? He would never do that. What did trying to figure out the knife have to do with him betraying his team? He was too tired to even think straight, and he wasn't going to go back to sleep after that fright. He needed to get his mind off of this knife situation. Right now was not the time to be swimming around the subject with Zarkon out there.

Swimming… maybe cooling off at the castles's pool would help. Allura talked about them having one, even this odd feature they had where they would turn it upside down when it wasn't in use. They said it kept the water fresh. Who was he to question advanced alien technology.

He dragged himself out of bed, wearing swim trunks and a towel over his head and approached the elevator before it closed. It would appear Lance had the same idea, also wearing swim trunks and a towel around his shoulders. He too looked exhausted, but not in the same way as Keith. Lance more more like he was bored and tired of them being chased, while Keith was exhausted from so many dilemmas swarming around his head. The mystery of his knife, how to tell Allura, if he should, would it even matter if the knife was linked to the Galra, what that would say about him.

Even he was getting tired of dancing around the same thing over and over. A cool swim was exactly what he needed to freshen his mind in order to fight Zarkon again when the time came. Allura would be well rested, so he should be too… even if he did have to share the pool with Lance, which eh would make sure to stay far, far away from. He was hoping to be alone in the pool to relax and clear his head. Well, maybe it won't be as bad as he thinks.

The elevator suddenly shuts off and the lights turn off temporarily. As if he didn't already have enough problems, now he had to deal with Lance's whining. Well, if they couldn't get to the pool, and there was no telling when the elevator would work (which probably happened due to Coran fixing the Teladuve thing) they might as well find their own way out.

Keith got an idea based from a movie he once saw as a kid, which even Lance was surprised he knew about it.

"Whoa, you saw that movie?"

"There was nothing else on TV." Keith replied irritably. The two boys linked their arms, their backs pressed together and using their feet they climbed up the walls of the elevator to try and reach the top before they suffocated in there. After some struggle (and more of Lance's whining), they managed to exit through an air vent and slid down to the pool room. Lance was dumbfounded upon seeing an upside down pool, but Keith was unfazed.

"Relax. It's some gravitational thing they use to keep the water fresh. There's a switch that turned it upright." Keith's eyes scanned the area and found the panel which would set the pull upright. The waters moved around in mid air as the pool positioned itself and the waters elegantly landed.

Lance blinked but was nevertheless grateful. Keith jumped into the water. Already he could feel his mind clearing up from all his troubles. Lance jumped in shortly afterwards and sighed in relief. The water was so clear and soothing it was like a day at the spa.

"The perks of having an alien girlfriend." Lance said, already floating on his back with his arms behind his head like a pillow. At the corner of his eye he noticed Keith giving him the stink eye.

"What? I meant that as a good thing." Keith turned his eyes away from his fellow paladin. Lance could already pick up something was off. "What's your deal? You've been acting weird. Well, weirder than usual."

"It's none of your business." Keith replied, trying to keep his voice at an even level.

"Everything okay with you and Allura?"

"We're fine."

"Not trying to be a snoop or anything, I just--"

"I said we're fine. Just drop it already." Keith's voice rose a bit in volume. His fists clenched under the water.

Lance took a short step back. If Keith didn't want to talk, then who was he to force him. Still, he at least wanted to make one thing clear to him at the very least.

"Look, I've never had a steady girlfriend so maybe I'm not the best guy to offer advice. All I can say is that, on the off chance there is an issue going on, it's okay."

Keith arched an eyebrow.

"Being together doesn't mean you won't disagree from time to time. You and Allura are always looking out for each other, so whatever issues you guys have, it doesn't hurt to talk them out and find a compromise. At least, that's how my parents handle their relationship."

Sometimes Keith didn't know just what to make of this guy. One minute he could be making fun of him, or saying some comment out of envy, and the next he's acting like a genuine friend. Maybe talking about his situation would have been more beneficial, but he knew Lance wouldn't understand. He wasn't even sure if Shiro would. His best friend. The only person who would understand, or at least comprehend what he was thinking was Allura, since he told her about the knife before. But, given her hatred towards the Galra, he was hesitant.

Still, it was nice of Lance to try and offer some encouragement. Keith didn't feel like talking too much about it right now, but he still appreciated his attempts. He and Allura weren't having any issues as Lance theorized, but maybe that's why Keith hadn't told her yet.

He didn't want there to be any problems.

Keith had come to trust Allura with everything. His past, his hopes, his fears, but this… this was something he knew was dangerous to mention. Unless he could convince her that Galra could change, and uncovered more about his knife and why he had it, then maybe it would be easier. Now just wasn't the time.

"Thanks." Keith said finally. "For the advice."

"No problem."

Meanwhile, Allura was trying to deal with her stress her own way. She arrived at the control room, where Shiro was at his seat. He turned once he saw the princess enter. She didn't look like she should be up and about.

"What are you doing here? You should be resting."

"I can not sleep. Zarkon is out there. He's searching for us." Allura tapped her finger at the air in front of her to form the computer screen, but Shiro stopped her by gently taking her hand and lowering it down, slowly releasing it.

"I know how you feel." He said compassionately. "But you have to step away for a while. It's what's best for everyone."

Allura couldn't describe how awful it felt to hear those words. He was basically telling her to step down. That she couldn't do her job right now, which was probably true. She was still tired, but how could she rest with a threat looming at their doorstep?

"Does Keith know you're up?" Shiro asked.

"Keith is my boyfriend, not my babysitter." Allura said, her eyes narrowing and voice icy cold, "And neither are you."

"I never said I was. You really shouldn't be forcing yourself like this."

"And what if Zarkon attacks while I'm resting? What will you do then?"

"We'll manage. We always do."

"I appreciate your concern Shiro, but I will feel much better if I--" she tried to create the screen again, only for Shiro to stop her. This time, she angrily removed her hand from his.

"I'm just trying to look out for you. If Keith were here, he'd be telling you the same thing."

"He knows I can take care of myself."

"I know he does." Shiro placed a hand on her shoulder. "But he also loves you. I'm sure you're aware that Keith has lost a lot in his life. He doesn't want to loose you too."

Allura's eyes softened at his words. He was Keith's oldest and dearest friend, of course he would know of his trials. Keith's concern wasn't because he didn't believe Allura was capable of fighting, he just wanted her to be well rested for the next fight so that she wouldn't get hurt or worse. While at the same time, Allura was trying to push herself to fight for the same reason.

She lost her family once… it couldn't happen again.

Before she could say anything else, the castle's alarms went off and Galra fighters began shooting at the floating piece of ice they had hidden the castle in. Zarkon's central command ship was right above them.

"We're several galaxies away. How could they find us so soon?" Allura asked, already starting to sweat. She activated the computer screen, this time Shiro made no attempts to stop her, and called on Coran. "Zarkon is back! What's our status?"

"Wormholing would be a problem." Coran said, struggling to keep himself steady due to the Slipperies. "The lenses haven't been readjusted. I don't know if the Teladuve will generate enough power!"

"Do everything you can!"

The doors slid open and each of the paladins hurried inside. Lance and Keith were still in their swimwear, having jumped out of the pool the second the alarm was heard. Keith slid to a halt when he saw Allura fully dressed and still looking as exhausted as she did before.

"How long have you been up?" He asked, almost upset that she had gone behind his back to get back to work when she still wasn't in top form yet.

"Can we discuss this later, please?" Allura exclaimed, which surprised both Hunk and Pidge. It was rare for them to see the two of them snap at each other. Keith decided to push the topic away and got back to his chair and got to work. The laser beams were coming at them fast. Coran was hard at work to get things in order, but the Slipperies were making it very difficult. When the older Altean finally came to grips with his condition and asked Pidge for help. The two of them got to work while the others fought off the rest of the Galra fleet. Keith and Lance worked together with their defense drones, but Pidge and Coran had to divert power from parts of the castle in order to make one small wormhole jump.

Despite her exhaustion, Allura powered up the castle and the paladins made a break for it, once again, escaping Zarkon's fleet. Unfortunately, the wormhole caused more of the Teladuve lenses to crack and they jumped out of the wormhole much sooner than planned.

They landed close to a space storm cloud. At least they were away from Zarkon. Allura was panting heavily. She was seriously regretting not trying harder to get more rest. Her legs almost gave way, only for Keith to hurry to her side and helped her keep balance.

"I'm sorry, Keith."

"It's okay. You don't have to apologize." Keith held her close. He didn't want to discuss about wether or not it was wise that they should have stopped or not. If anything, he should have known Zarkon wouldn't make this easy for them.

"Zarkon keeps finding us." said Shiro, looking at his computer screen. His voice was low and concerned, and… even scared. "It's like he knows how to track us down. Maybe he planted some kind of tracking device."

Allura made a screen appear beside her and tapped the surface with her fingers. "Well it is nothing on the ship. The castle would have detected any tracking devices."

"Until we figure out exactly how he's doing it we should assume that he can show up at any minute. So stay alert."

While wormholing was still an issue, Pidge suggested they hide in the eye of the metallic storm before them. The interference would prevent Zarkon from finding them. At first, it worked flawlessly.

For about two seconds. Zarkon had showed up right above the eye, over the castle. It didn't make any sense, there was no tracking device, so how could Zarkon locate them? Pidge concluded that it wasn't through normal means, so it had to be something else. Zarkon was somehow able to detect them through something else. Some kind of energy he could sense.

Allura placed the pieces together. Recalling every time Zarkon and his Galra had found them. The first time, they appeared when she woke up the first time, and every other time she was there. She knew Zarkon had a large storage of quintessence, so what if he could sense energy of another being? He clearly had powers they were not aware of. So…what if…

"It's me." Allura concluded. All eyes fell on her. "It's been me all along. That's how they found us on planet Arus."

Allura didn't have much time to dwell on the realization, for Shiro had already thought of a plan. He and the rest of the paladins got into their lions and formed Voltron to lure Zarkon's ship away, giving Allura enough time to get into open space for them to escape. The plan worked and Allura was able to stir the Castle Ship out of the storm. It was then when the same horrible sensation from their last fight with Zarkon overwhelmed the paladins. More specifically Shiro.

The evil king was pulling Voltron back into his clutches by taking control of the Black Lion. "Fall back!" Keith shouted. He wasn't sure exactly where that sudden command came from, but Shiro was struggling to maintain control of his lion, currently the head of the robot, so he just took action.

Just before the paladins were split apart again, the Castle Ship shot a powerful laser at Zarkon's ship, giving the paladins enough time to escape. Shiro knew that Zarkon could easily control them if they got too close, so they had to maintain their distance. The lions separated and flew beside the Castle Ship, with Zarkon still on their tail.

Their only hope now was to wormhole out of there, but according to Coran the scultrite lenses had been destroyed and there was no way for them to wormhole out of there. It was then, Pidge remembered Hunk tried to make some kind of rounded, transparent "cookies" with said material earlier.

They turned out to be the ideal replacement for the cracked lenses. However, in order for the generator to work, the paladins had to position themselves in a specific positions (some very uncomfortable), while holding the lenses in place. And, according to Coran, there was a chance they might not make it out alive. The older Altean gave them a salute, saying it's been a pleasure working with them.

Worst. Motivational speech. Ever.

At the first attempt, it didn't work. To maker matters worse, Zarkon was right on top of them. Literally.

The lenses weren't reflected enough, but one look at the liquids oozing from his cloths and body gave Coran an idea. Using his Slipperies to his advantage he shinned the lenses and on the second attempt they created a wormhole and escaped Zarkon just in time.

Allura was, finally, able to breath a sigh of relief once they reached the other side. Allura hurried to the generator to congratulate everyone.

"Great work, team. We made it!" her happy expression quickly shifted into one of surprise mixed with concern. The paladins were all alive and well, but they did not come out completely unharmed. Or, in their case, un-scorched.

Their armor was covered in ash, their bodies emitting smoke and while they were all frozen in their respected positioned, they looked like they were all about to pass out. At least they were alive.

After cleaning themselves up, and cooling off by literally splashing water bottles at their faces, for a moment the team could take a breather. For now. With Zarkon still out there, and him being able to locate them, now three times in one day without fail, who knows how long this moment of peace will last.

If that wasn't bad enough, Allura realized that the reason why they have been running from Zarkon all day, was probably because of her. But, when she mentioned it, none of the paladins would believe it. Keith, on the other hand had a different take on the matter.

Yes, Zarkon found them on Arus not long after Allura woke up, and his Robeast able to find the Blade of Marmora's base when he wasn't able to before now. But, what if wasn't Allura?

"_You fight like a Galra soldier._"

Those were Zarkon's direct words. Why would he say that? Why would Keith fight like a Galra soldier. His mind went back to his knife that night when he slept. Only this time, repressed memories of his childhood could be seen in blurry images. Too far away to fully make out, but closer enough for him to hear voices. He saw the face of his father, clear as crystal. His eye color marching his own. He also heard a familiar voice. Soft, feminine and calming.

His mother.

He couldn't make out much about her face, but when she came closer, no doubt to kiss him goodnight, with her father close behind, he saw something else in her face. Her skin was not that of a normal human. It looked more….

Purple.

Her face was still beautiful, but the details were clearly not human. In a flash the face of his mother turned into the face of Zarkon.

Keith didn't jump awake this time, rather his eyes snapped open. His eyes to the ceiling of his room, his chest rising and lowering, quickly at first before easing down at an even paste. He then remembered that one time back at the Balmara. When he was able to close the hanger by placing his hand onto the handprint. Why would it allow him access when he was human? The pieces started coming together.

What if his father wasn't just aligned with the Galra before Keith was born? What if his connection wasn't due to some kind of alliance…

But… by blood.


	15. Chapter 15

_Since the beginning of time, people have been drawn to romance stories about two people who come from different worlds and, as a result, face obstacles that threaten to keep them apart._

_Stories like Romeo and Juliet, who's families hatred towards each other prevented them from being together._

_Stories of a princess falling for a peasant boy against her father's wishes._

_The more modern take of an uptown girl falling for a downtown guy._

_But, at the end, true love always seems to win out in the end… well, minus for Romeo and Juliet, that is._

_With society now a days, this type of struggle between couples isn't very common. They usually have other issues they have to deal with._

_But, on rare occasions, this trope does tend to rise up from the ashes of the past. In this case, it's a combination of feuding families, different backgrounds…_

_And a secret they never would have anticipated._

(~)

No. I couldn't be. How was that possible?

It had to be only the dream. Keith may not remember much about his mother, or at least not too clearly, but there was no way she was a Galra. It didn't make sense. Then again, it would explain his knife. Maybe she was a Blade of Marmora who found her way to Earth, met his father and had him. It would explain how the Galra computer recognized his hand despite being human. It also explained a bit as to what Zarkon meant by him fighting like a Galra soldier. He also recalled the time that quintessence landed on his hand. His burn was abnormally purple in color. Only back then he brushed it aside as just an effect from the quintessence. He knew it was powerful substance, especially given how Zarkon has used it to stay alive after all this time.

Did Zarkon know? Could he possibly have realized Keith was Galra, or possibly half? How? Keith didn't look even remotely Galra.

Well, maybe, except for his eyes, who were even more purple in color than his father's. His were more of a deep dark blue that could pass off for shades of purple, but Keith's were definitely purple with only very subtle tints of blue. He realized as much when he looked at himself in the reflective surface of his knife. He recalled the coloring of various Galra. His eyes were very close.

The knife. The Blade of Marmora. The hand scan. The purple burn. His eyes. Why he could hardly remember his own mother. His dream.

His heart boomed against his ribcage, his hands trembled. If Zarkon knew, or was suspicious, then could it be that it wasn't Allura he was tracking them with… but him? Did he do something to Keith during their last fight? Zarkon was undoubtedly strong with powers none of them were prepared for. Not to mention, he learned from Allura that Zarkon's witch was able to locate them through his and Allura's physic link she used to warn him. 

What if it was the witch? She was using her powers to reach them? If she was able to detect them before, could she continue to do it after she got only one sample? What if that's how he found out he was Galra?

Keith shook his head, trying to push the possibility aside. He couldn't.

"There's no point in debating this further. Zarkon is clearly tracking us through me." Allura said. It had been a couple days since the incident. Coran's Slipperies had finally ended and he sat beside his charge, consoling her.

None of the paladins would believe it.

"Why is it so hard to believe? Zarkon's forces showed up on planet Arus only after I awoke."

"She's got a point." Lance said.

"It's not you, Allura." Keith said, keeping an surprising amount of distance between him and her. Normally he would be right by her side during a time like this, but now it looked as if he was scared to stand even two feet next to her.

"It's me."

"Because?" Hunk asked.

"I just think, I mean Zarkon must have imprinted on me during our fight or something. Or at least his witch. Didn't she find out about me and Allura's telepathic link when she was captured? That's probably how he did it."

"If that is the case, then it's clearly my fault." Allura said, hanging her head in shame. "I tried to warn you, but instead I placed you all in danger."

"That's not what I'm saying!" Keith said, already feeling like the biggest idiot for mentioning it. He was trying to convince Allura she wasn't to blame, but he only made matters worse. Keith wanted to slap himself so hard right now.

"Keith, I apreciate you trying to make me feel better, but there is no denying the facts."

Pidge jumped in, refusing to have either of the two believe they were to blame for this. "Look, the fact is we don't know how Zarkon is tracking us. It could be through the Black Lion. Every time Zarkon gets close to it Shiro has to fight him for control."

"That's only when Zarkon is nearby." Coran said. "No paladin has ever been able to connect with a lion over a vast distance."

"It doesn't matter." Shiro said. "Because we're going to take the fight to the Galra soon enough. They've been chasing us from galaxy to galaxy. Last thing they'd expect is for us to come after them."

Pidge, as usual, was way ahead on the technological necessities, creating a program that would enable her to detect the possible locations where the Galra will strike next based on previously gathered information. That would be the simplest explanation as to how she described it to the rest of her team, who simply summed it up to a "Galra finder".

The first place she found was a planet called Taujeer, where the Galra had been spotted last. "Everyone get some sleep." Shiro said to everyone. "Tomorrow we'll find that Galra fleet and take it out."

One by one, everyone exited the room. Allura lingered, noticing that Keith had not once moved from where he stood during the entire conversation. He met her gaze for a brief moment. He looked troubled. Allura approached him, placing her hand on his shoulder.

"Don't blame yourself for any of this, Keith." she said.

"_I could say the same thing about you._" he thought, but held his tongue from speaking. All he did was smile, though she still caught a glimpse of uncertainty in his eyes. Allura kissed him on the lips before retreating for the night.

The only ones left were Keith and Shiro. The eldest paladin noticed the couple's interactions.

"Is everything okay?" Shiro asked, sounding surprisingly casual and collected when he did.

"Yeah." Keith replied, not looking at Shiro in the eye. "Why?"

"You seem a bit anxious."

Keith still didn't make eye contact. "I'm fine. Just tired." he turned to make his leave. "Like you said, I should get some sleep."

"Keith." Shiro called out. The younger paladin reluctantly stopped and looked over his shoulder. "I know you're worried for Allura. But you should take it easy too. I'm sure however Zarkon is tracking us it's not through her."

"I don't doubt that." Keith said, more so to himself, his voice more of a whisper as he resumed leaving the control room. Allura may be dead set on the fact that she's the reason why Zarkon is tracking them, but Keith had a much different theory.

Just like the night before, Keith was restless. His nightmare was the most scarring as of yet. First, the Red Lion rejects him for being Galra, then he sees himself surrounded by marching Galra troops, while wearing a Galra uniform. None of them did anything to hurt him. They walked around him as if he were a casual bystander.

As if he were one of them.

A the child metal of his knife sent a chill up his spine and looked at his reflection on its surface. Only, instead of himself, he saw the eyes of Zarkon himself.

"_I can find you anywhere._"

With a jolt, Keith snapped awake, sitting upright, sweating and breathing heavily. He trembled when he reached for his knife, his voice raspy as his own eyes looked back at him.

It was way too far fetched to assume Zarkon was tracking them through Keith's connection to his knife, and the Galra in general. But, then again, who knew what secrets and powers Zarkon had. Would Keith really take the risk of not finding out for himself?

If he really was the reason, he was unintentionally placing the team in danger. He had to know if it was true or not.

Jumping out of bed, Keith dawned on his paladin armor and approached the hangars where the space pods were placed. A small bag was hunched over his back. Just the essentials, like food and water in case he had to wait too long. His Bayard, his helmet and of course his knife. He didn't want to believe he would never return. This was only a test, not a permanent decision.

He just hoped he was proven wrong so he wouldn't have to abandon the team… or Allura.

The sound of the doors swooshing open made him run and hide behind one of the pods. He hunched over and snuck a peek to see someone walk and and prepare to get into the very pod he was hiding behind.

Keith stepped out from his hiding spot just as the unexpected guest mounted the side of the pod.

"Allura, what are you doing here?"

The princess let out a yelp, waving her hands frantically in a desperate attempt to regain her balance. Thankfully, rather than land on her back, she was caught by the strong, sturdy arms of her boyfriend. He held her bridal style which, under normal circumstances, would have been romantic, but right now Allura's face was bright red in embarrassment. Not at being caught in his arms, but the fact that he caught her trying to sneak out of the castle.

"Oh, um," Ignoring the blush on her cheeks, Allura wrapped her arms around Keith neck, smiling slyly. "Would you believe I was searching for you?" she said in a flirtatious tone.

Keith arched an eyebrow and gave her a sly smirk that read 'you're not fooling anyone'. Allura sighed in defeat.

"Didn't think so." Allura flipped over him, landing on her feet, hands on her hips. "But the better question is, what are you doing here?"

Keith could already feel his mouth turning dry. "Nothing. Just walking… late at night… near the pods."

Now it was Allura's turn to rise a brow. "In full paladin armor with a bag of your belongings?" she leaned to her side, nodding her head to said bag which, to her relief, wasn't too full, which meant Keith wasn't planning on leaving for good.

Keith sighed in defeat. "I'm sorry, Allura. But I have to know if Zarkon is tracking me."

"Why would you believe Zarkon would be tracking you?" Allura asked in concern. "What really happened during your last fight?"

There were a lot of things Keith hatted in this life. Lance's tomfoolery, leaders who care for no one but themselves, people who hurt innocents… and not being able to tell Allura what was really bothering him. He wanted more than anything to pour out everything that's been bothering him, right there and now. But the uncertain part of him kept that other side on a tight leash. If he told Allura he could possibly be Galra, she would deny it. Anyone else would, since Keith looked nothing like a Galra and he's lived on earth all his life, a planet the Galra had yet conquered. Not to mention her already established hatred towards the species for eliminating everything she had ever known, leaving her an orphan, alone and to face a war she never asked to be a part of. Something like this needed precise timing and well thought out planning on how to tell her. Something he hadn't been able to do with a new Galra attack at every turn. Which really wasn't helping his situation here.

Keith tried his best not to lie, but also to be careful with his words. "Something's been bothering me lately. I can't shake this feeling that even I'm not sure what it means. This is the only way." he looked her in the eyes, his eyes a mixture of determined and apologetic. "Don't try and stop me."

"I'm going to stop you. I'm going to join you."

"Allura--"

"If your theory is correct, and somehow Zarkon's witch can track either you or me, or both simultaneously, we should figure it out together."

"Are you sure?"

"Maybe we're wrong, maybe we're not. Whatever the answer, I need to know."

There it was. That spark of ambition in her eyes that burned brighter than a star going supernova. There was no point in trying to get Allura to reconsider. Besides, if either of their theories were true, this was the best way to test it out. It would make more sense for them to go on separate pods and see which one of them was the one who's being tracked. But, given how neither of them voiced that option, the reason was obvious.

No way in the galaxy where these two going to let the other go on this mission alone.

Keith complied and the two got into the pod. "Under different circumstances, this would actually be pretty romantic." Keith said lighthearted as he out on his helmet.

"I disagree." Allura said with her chin up. Keith looked at her curiously and the princess gave him a slue smile. "I like to think any moment we have is romantic." she said, leaning forward to place a soft kiss on his lips before putting on her own helmet.

As much as Keith loved it when they could just relax and be themselves, sadly right now, it only added more weight to his already growing dilemma.

(~)

The next morning, the paladins got ready to head to Taujeer, only Shiro noticed two of their team members were missing.

"Where are Keith and Allura?" Shiro asked as he sat on his control chair.

"It would appear one of the pods launched in the middle of the night." Coran said.

Lance's eyes widened and he couldn't stop himself from grinning. "Wait a minute. Keith and Allura? In the middle of the night?" he chuckled while leaning back against his chair, "We-he-ell, looks like Mullet Head's cranking it up a notch with the romance. Atta boy!"

But Shiro wasn't buying it. Keith and Allura having a moment to themselves wasn't anything new but they weren't the kind of people who would sneak around and leave unexpectedly without telling anyone where they were going. Especially with Zarkon out there. It wasn't like them to be this reckless and irresponsible.

Okay, reckless maybe, but not irresponsible.

"Contact the pod." Shiro said. He didn't always like prying into Keith's personal life when he wasn't supposed to, but this was a war, not high school.

Lance jerked up in his seat. "Whoa, whoa, whoa! I didn't say I wanted to see them "sittin' in a tree!", Ever heard of privacy?!"

Hunk rolled his eyes. "Lance. Would it kill you to get your mind out of the gutter?"

"Depends, what century are we living in?"

"Pig." Pidge muttered to herself in annoyance.

Coran immediately contacted the two. "Princess! Keith! Where are you?!"

The young couple exchanged worried glances until Allura answered first. "Exactly where we should be. Far away from the castle."

Lance shook his head in disbelief. "Wait, you guys are eloping?" he asked, which only made Keith and Allura simultaneously roll their eyes and groan in annoyance. Keith was beginning to think he was less annoying when he was flirting with Allura.

"No, Lance." Keith replied with bitter annoyance.

"We must know if we are the ones Zarkon is tracking." Allura said next.

"They're isolating the variable." Pidge explained. "Well, isolating two variables."

"In english, please?" Lance said.

"In order to test a hypothesis--"

"I said, _English!_"

"Gah! Never mind!"

"Pidge is right." Allura said. "If Zarkon finds you despite my absence we will know with total certainty that we are not the ones he is tracking."

"Splitting up the group makes us far more vulnerable!" Shiro said. Normally, he likes treating his teammates as equals rather than minors. But, every so often he's reminded of the fact that they are still teenagers. As gifted as they are, they were still growing and trying to find themselves while dealing with a war. He admired both Keith and Allura's ability to take action, but this was far too risky.

"Come back to the castle immediately!"

"I'm sorry, Shiro. But I can't do that." Allura replied, feeling some regret. She knew Shiro meant well, but this was something she had to do. She knew it was risky, but she was willing to take it if it meant knowing for certain she wasn't the one endangering everyone's lives.

"If Zarkon does find us I can pilot us to safety." said Keith. "We're in wide open space with plenty of room to maneuver. Plus, we'd be able to outrun him. Pidge added that booster rocket."

"We need both of you back here, now!" Shiro ordered. The Castle entered Taujeer's orbit, which it's radiation caused the communication between the two parties to disconnect.

"Coran, what's going on? Coran!"

"The connection's been cut." Keith said, tampering with the controls to reestablish connection to no avail.

"It must be Taujeer. Its atmosphere emits a powerful radiation that disrupts any form of far distance communication."

"Should we turn back?" Keith asked, unsure if to leave the team alone to handle the Galra fleet in Taujeer.

Allura pondered for a moment. She was thankful when Coran's voice came through the intercom. "Allura? Keith? Are you there?"

"We're here, Coran. Is everything alright?"

"There's good news and bad news. Good news is, I got the Castle a far distance enough away from the radiation emitting from the planet so I was able to reinstate communication. Also, the Galra apparently left the planet a while ago."

"What's the bad news?" Keith asked.

"Well, the planet appears to be deteriorating, so the paladins are going to have to get the Taujeerians out before that happens."

Allura and Keith exchanged worried looks. Maybe this really was a bad idea. But, if they left now, who's to say the Galra won't show up then and there and make things worse. They would be endearing their friends rather than helping them.

"Look," Coran continued, "I still think this stunt you two pulled is downright crazy and Shiro's right, this does make the team more vulnerable. But… if you're both truly concerned that you're the reason Zarkon keeps finding us then… I'll contact you if anything happens."

"Coran, you would do that?" Allura asked, nearly speechless.

"This is just to test a theory. So far, the paladins have things well at hand. No need to worry, I'll radio you if things go south. But please be careful. Both of you."

Allura smiled in gratitude. While Coran was always worried about her well being, he knew Allura was a grown woman who could make her own decisions, and if her theory was true then they had to know for sure.

"Thank you, Coran."

"Of course, don't think this gives you two the excuse to try any funny business."

And just like that, the tender moment was ruined. Both princess and paladin groaned in annoyance, eyes narrowed at the invisible voice.

"I'll be checking up every few--"

"Goodbye, Coran!" they said simultaneously while Keith shut off communication. First Lance, and now Coran? Was there such little faith in the youth of today? Then again, given what goes on now a days, they couldn't blame them that much.

A few more minutes passed since they last spoke with the others. Keith scanned their surroundings and detected nothing.

"We've been out here for hours. Still no sign of Zarkon."

"Well. I'm glad I don't have to wait here alone." Allura reached out her hand, placing it above Keith's, which was still on the steering wheel. She smiled, shades of faint red sprinkled on her cheeks. The softness in her eyes made the stars around them sparkle even brighter than before. Out of all of them, in Keith's eyes, Allura shinned the brightest.

Man, this woman really has turned him into a romantic softy. Not that it was such a bad thing.

Allura's smile slowly morphed into a slight frown. The weight of their mission hung on her heavily. "You understand, I couldn't bare to live with myself is Zarkon was tracking us because of me. I must know. We face such a dire threat from the Galra."

It was then Keith remembered his own dilemma. He wasn't about to dump all of the information he knew onto her right now, but maybe, just maybe, now was as good a time as ever to try and ease her into the idea that not all Galra were bad. Allura was stubborn, she wasn't going to budge easily, so he had to approach this delicately.

"Well, sure they're bad. No doubt about that. But, at the same time, is it really that hard to believe that a few of them could be fighting for good? Just look at Ulaz. He sacrificed his life to save us, remember?"

"We still don't know for certain if it was real or a ploy." Allura said, subconsciously aware of the coldness in her tone. "One life means nothing to Zarkon."

"It means something to me." Keith's voice slightly rose, but he caught it just in time before he would go too far. "It means some of them are actually willing to help, and we could use all the help we can get."

Allura folded her arms. Keith felt an unpleasant tightness in his chest when she removed her hand away from his. It felt like a sign that things weren't going to go as he had hopped.

"Any offer of help from the Galra is merely a prey-loop to a trap." her tone lowered, memories of the past flooding back into her mind. "I know all to well how quickly they turn." she turned to look at her boyfriend. "As do you."

Keith's grip on the controls tightened. Of course he knew about the Galra's past. How they were once allies of Altea, but then they turned their backs on them. Destroyed their home, killed Allura's father and she was forced to sleep for ten thousand years while the universe suffered.

Not to mention, Allura was so confident Keith should be wholeheartedly on her side on this matter. She didn't outright say it, but it was implied. He knew why she should believe this. After all, it wasn't too long ago Keith would have more than eagerly punch a Galra soldier in the face for what they did to her. He knew the pain he went through. He was there, he held her when she broke down and cried over the loss of her family. So many times in the Astral Plane, when Allura got so wrapped up in a memory, tears would spill and his hatred for the Galra grew from then on.

Only now, things have changed. Everything wasn't so black and white anymore, and so much of what he was going through could very well endanger his relationship.

Despite the war, and some close calls, Keith and Allura's relationship was overall doing just fine. But now, this whole thing was causing a rift to form between them. A rift Keith was more aware of while Allura wasn't. And he couldn't blame her for it. He couldn't fault her for not seeing it. Keith hadn't told her, and Allura had some very deep emotional scars that have yet to heal. It's the only reason why he hadn't told her yet. He knew better than anyone how hard it was to loose one's family.

Everything seemed to be going pretty well, and now he was scared of both him actually sharing the same blood as the species who killed his girlfriend's entire culture, and what she would say or think if that were the case. She probably wouldn't hate him, but she would be confused and stunned. Keith felt rather stunned himself.

That's why he wanted to firmly believe not all Galra were bad, not just so Allura would believe it, but so he wouldn't feel so bad about his possible heritage. Maybe, it would make this whole transition easier.

"It just seems crazy to lump everyone together." Keith said, once again trying to ease her into the idea. She still wouldn't budge. "Do you remember the time I read you Cinderella? About how not one shoe fits all."

"That was an abstract story, Keith. This is real. Besides, even if there are any good Galra they've had ten thousand years to take down Zarkon. At least Cinderella's prince was proactive and did something to find her. I would rather count on his help than any from them."

With that, Keith stopped trying to push the idea any further. He could tell from the look in her eyes that Allura was hurting. Talking about the Galra always hurt her. Only now, it was hurting him too.

But, maybe there was another way. Maybe if Keith could uncover more about his past, wether or not his dream was a legit memory or just some manifestation of his own questions, a reason why he had the knife, he could uncover what it truly meant. Maybe what Zarkon said was just an expression, that Keith merely fought with an aggression that was similar to a Galra, not that he actually was one. And maybe it was his physic link to Allura that the witch detected that was the reason how she could track them.

If he could figure out how he got his knife and what it meant, then maybe he would find that he wasn't really half Galra. That would at least take away one huge weight off of his shoulders. The only thing he would have consider is getting Allura to be more open minded about the possibility of good Galra, which can take its time. If he wasn't Galra, what would he have to worry about her seeing him any different?

Or maybe… he didn't want to see himself as any different. In all honesty, Keith wasn't all too excited about the possibility of him being Galra as much as Allura was in trusting them. Maybe she wasn't the only one who still held a lingering hatred towards them. After all, letting go of a grudge is not as easy as sliding into one room through an open door. But, if there was any way to find out if he could possibly be Galra, this was one way to figure it out.

"So what happens if Zarkon does find us?" Keith asked after what felt like an hour of silence.

"You said you could pilot us to safety, right?"

"Sure but, after that. Could we even go back to the group? And if we don't, who would pilot the castle or create wormholes?"

"What about you? Without you the team can not form Voltron."

Keith hung his head, realizing how stupid he was in not remembering that. Allura reached out for his hand again. Her touch sent a wave of comfort coursing through him.

"If we really are the ones Zarkon is tracking then, maybe, we can find a way to sever that connection."

"How?"

"I'm not sure. What I do know is that you're not going anywhere. You're far too important to this team… and to me." she smiled softly at that last part.

All of Keith's previous worries and concerns melted away as her hand tightened around his. He let go of the wheel and held her hand in his, kissing her knuckles. Maybe this whole thing will work itself out in the end. There was no doubt in his mind-- or in his heart-- that what he and Allura had was indeed something special. Something strong. Something real. He should trust it rather than worry about what might be only in his head or a misinterpretation of things.

"I love you, Allura."

"I love you too, Keith."

"Keith, Allura, are you there?" Coran's voice was heard from the intercom, startling the two.

"We're here Coran. What is it?" Allura asked, her hand still held in Keith's.

"Zarkon is definitely not tracking us through either of you!"

"He's not?" Keith asked in surprise, but deep inside he felt a sense of relief.

"How do you know?" Allura asked.

"Because you're out there and a Galra fleet just showed up here. We need you now!"

Well, it would appear their little test was a success after all. They have undeniable proof that neither of them were the reason for Zarkon finding them across the galaxy. But there was no time to take a breather now. The team needed them. Keith took full control of the wheel again and turned the pod around.

"We'll be there in tow dobashes!" Allura replied to her caretaker.

"Even faster than that." Keith said, his fingers taping on the screen, specifically on an added icon Allura had never seen before.

"What is that?"

"It's the booster fuel Pidge added to this pod."

Without thinking twice, Keith pressed the icon, which flashed a bright red in order to activate it. But the moment he did, the ship began to shake and the engines bursted into flames. The two were ejected out of the pod before it exploded into smithereens. It would appear that, unlike Coran and Hunk, the two of them weren't so lucky with the booster fuel. Coran predicted that this feature could either make the pod go faster, or turn it into a bomb.

His predictions were correct.

Both paladin and princess screamed as they were thrown out into space, spiraling out of control. Keith activated his armor's jetpack to regain his balance. He panted from the shock onto to see Allura still flying in the void, growing farther and farther away from him. His eyes widened and he flew after her as quickly as he could.

"Allura!" He yelled as he zoomed towards her, desperately reaching out his arm for hers. "Grab my hand!"

Allura waved her hand, trying to grab his until she felt his tight grip. She held on tightly as he pulled her in, grabbing both her hands as they spun rapidly in the void. Keith eased the intensity of his jetpack, slowing them down. Their eyes were locked to one another like magnets, never once looking away as their movements slowed. Their bodies continued to spin but the adrenaline and terror from the explosion was fading with each breath. Keith held Allura's hands close to his chest and they slowed gracefully to a stop. Their pounding hearts and breathing steadied. The paladin held his princess close.

"Allura, you okay?"

To his surprise, Allura responded by chuckling. Her brown cheeks flushed with red. "I never thought we'd ever get a chance to dance weightless like that again."

Now it was Keith's turn to chuckle. The way they spun around in space, the stars surrounding them, their bodies close and their feet absent from the ground. It it weren't for the fact that they had just been ejected from an exploding pod and their space suits, this would be a near identical experience to when they danced back on the Astral Plane.

The night where they spun on air, with stars surrounding them like something out of a beautiful dream. It was the night they first kissed. The night they first professed their feelings for each other. Well, technically they officially did with words the following night, but that kiss said so much more than words ever could.

"I'll take that as a yes." Keith said, wrapping one arm around Allura's shoulder, holding her even closer, while his other hand held both her hands.

"Is your radio still working?" Allura asked, focusing her attention back onto their situation. The remains of the pod floated aimlessly in front of them.

"Let's find out." Keith tried to contact the male Altean through his helmet. "Coran, can you hear me?" he called out. All he heard was static. Judging by the look on his face, Allura deduced that the radio was indeed broken, no doubt from when they had been thrown out from the pod at the last minute.

"Guess we'll have to travel by jetpack. Let's go." with his left arm still around Allura's shoulder, and his right holding her hand the two flew off back to try and reach their friends in time. While Keith's jetpack was indeed fast, it was nowhere near as fast as a space pod, or one of the lions.

A few minutes past, Keith kept looking behind his shoulder to see just how far they managed to go. He could still see bits of their destroyed pod even after this time. He sighed in frustration.

"We'll never get there at this rate."

"This was a terrible mistake!" Allura said. The guilt stunk her like a scorpion's bite. "Shiro was right, we never should have left them. I'm so sorry, Keith. This is all my fault. If I hadn't--"

"No, it's not." Keith said. "You were only doing what you felt was right. You were trying to protect everyone. Besides, you weren't alone on this. I'm just as much to blame too. If anything, I should have tried and talk you out of it instead of placing you in danger like that." Keith averted his gaze in regret.

"I chose to go with you." Allura said firmly. "It was my decision to figure out wether or not I was to blame for Zarkon locating us. Clearly neither of us are, but maybe if I hadn't been so bullheaded you wouldn't be in this mess alongside me."

Keith looked back at her. "And leave you out here on your own? No way! Allura, it doesn't matter, we can't change what happened. We both only wanted to protect the team. Sure, we messed up, but the best thing we can do now is get back to the others and held them fight."

"Easier said than done." Allura said, crestfallen at the vast void before them. The remains of the pod were now almost a speck, but space was so vast and their communications were down it would take forever for them to reach the others. Assuming they didn't perish out here first.

It was then, Keith recalled something Pidge had said earlier. "Wait. Remember what Pidge said yesterday?"

"About what?"

"That maybe it wasn't us Zarkon was able to locate us, but through the Black Lion."

"But that's only when he's close by."

"Yeah, but remember, Zarkon has an entire arsenal of quintessence he's been harvesting for ten thousand years. What if that's how he's able to amplify his bond with the Black Lion? He may not be able to gain control over it by that far away, but maybe he can still sense it's location. Kind of like how you were able to locate the lions through your life-force."

Allura's eyes widened and she felt like the biggest fool for not having realized that sooner. It made perfect sense. The idea of Zarkon using quintessence not only to stay alive but also to enhance his bond with his lion wasn't too far fetched. After all, there were still many mysteries surrounding quintessence so it was a possibility. If it wasn't through Allura or Keith then that had to be the other explanation.

"Of course. Keith, you're brilliant!" Allura smiled, but it quickly morphed into a frown. "Though, I don't see how--" her eyes widened in realization and her smile returned. "Do you think that, between you and me--"

"If you share your energy with me, maybe together I can reach the Red Lion and it can find us!"

"It's worth a try. I still have a link to the lions, and the Red one was once piloted by my father. Let's do it."

Keith tightened his grip on Allura's hand, both closing their eyes, focusing hard on only one thing; The Red Lion. Memories from when Keith first bonded with the mechanical beast flashed before his eyes, and memories of Allura's father piloting the creature, fighting alongside the other paladins flashed in her mind. She was only a child at the time, but she always marveled at the way her father could effortlessly fly the creature as if it were a part of him.

They both felt a tingling sensation on the tips of their fingers, which coursed through their bodies. It was such a surreal feeling. Like their souls had interlinked, similar to their physic communication back when Allura had been taken hostage. For a moment, they had nearly forgotten they were lost in space, instead they were lost in the warmth of the supernatural blanket that wrapped around them, and the closeness of their bodies.

It was only at the sound of a familiar roar did they finally open their eyes. The tingling sensation still lingered as they both saw the large red and silver beast flying towards them. The two smiled and laughed victoriously.

"It worked! Keith, the Red Lion found you!"

"No. It found _us_."

It didn't matter how long they've been together, Keith no matter what always managed to make Allura blush. The lion opened its mouth and the two flew right in. Keith quickly got on his chair, taking full control with Allura standing behind the chair, gripping it tightly. A sense of nostalgia overwhelmed her. It was like she was a child again, only in those memories she was sitting on her father's lap, giggling an begging her father to go even faster.

"It feels like as it did when I was young." she said, almost unaware of the fact she had said the words out loud. Allura stood on Keith's left and he smiled at her.

"I know your father would be very proud of you, Allura."

"He would have been proud of you too."

"Alright, let's get to the others!"

The lion went at full speed towards the planet Taujeer, where they saw the rest of the lions fighting the Galra fleet. They were trying to protect some kind of Ark, no doubt containing all of the helpless Taujeerians inside. They spotted the ion cannon about to fire at them. Keith activated his lion's jar blade and cut through around the base of the cannon, slicing it right off of the ship, where it fell into the yellowish, said waters of the deteriorating planet.

He could hear the rest of the paladins cheering through the intercom of the lion. "Good to have you back, Keith!" Shiro said.

"Good to be back."

"Is the princess with you?" Lance asked.

"Yes."

"Like, "with you" with you, or--"

"We didn't elope, Lance!" Allura replied, eyes rolling in the process.

"Oh, man. I was totally gonna call dibs on Keith's room!"

Both Keith and Allura looked at one another, their faces a mixture of concern and… downright disturbed. "What goes on in that mind of his?" Allura asked.

Keith shook his head. "I don't even want to know."

Hunk's voice came through next, "Uh, hate to interrupt but a little help here Keith?"

"On my way, buddy!"

Keith assisted the paladins in balancing the ark back into place and the lions joined together to form Voltron. The entire time, Allura held tightly onto the head of Keith's chair as the lions took form of the mighty warrior.

She felt it. The entire transformation. Even if she wasn't in her own lion she could sense the powerful link each paladin shared with their lions and with each other. The power was indescribable, but if she could manage to find the words she would describe it as flying at rapid speed through a clear open sky, the warmth of summer within her chest, and the firmness of a father's hug wrapped around her, added with the incredible sense of oneness that came with riding a horse through a vast desert and then taking off into the air.

It was… magical.

This must be how her father felt every time the paladins of old fought together. A part of her envied how her friends had the privilege to feel this sense almost all the time. It became even more incredible when Keith formed the sword. Not too long after, Keith heard his lion purring within his mind. For a moment, Allura felt she could hear it too. Or rather, hear him hearing it. It was strange to say, but she felt something. The other paladins heard their lions speaking to them as well. At the same time, Lance, Hunk and Pidge placed their Bayards in their respected slots, and Keith kept his grip firmly on his.

Before their very eyes, the slim elegant sword increased in size. With it, Voltron sliced through the ship like it was a piece of paper. Allura's eyes sparkled at the sight. Voltron truly was the most powerful weapon ever known. She had always seen it, only now, she was feeling it.

Allura cheered alongside the other paladins. This sensation of being out on the field with the entire team--with Keith-- it was just… exhilarating.

In order to save the Ark, Voltron lifted it up high and took the aliens to safety. They cheered and thanked the great robot warrior before they flew away back to the castle. Once inside, and out of their armor, Allura was still on an adrenaline high from the experience.

"That… was… incredible! I always knew Voltron was powerful, but being right there to witness it was unlike anything I had ever seen! I mean, did you see how large that sword was? It cut right through that Galra cruiser like it was nothing!"

The princess couldn't contain her laughter. She was as giddy as a school girl coming back from her first concert. Keith had to admit, this excitable part of Allura was always adorable. She often kept a composed, collected persona when on the job, but underneath that queen mask was a young woman with a vibrant spirit.

Keith placed his hand on her shoulder, "I'm glad you had fun Allura, but relax. You look like you're going to explode."

"Oh, sorry. I got a little carried away there."

Shiro clearing his throat brought both hers and Keith's attention back to him and the others.

"Right." Allura held her hands together, facing the rest of the team, looking down apologetically. "I'm so sorry for leaving."

"Me too." said Keith, his hand never once leaving Allura's shoulder. "We thought we were doing the right thing.

"But clearly you were correct, Shiro. We are always stronger together." Allura said. And she meant it. She had experienced it first hand only a few short moments ago. The adrenaline was still fresh but she masked it well enough.

"At least we know Zarkon isn't tracking us through you two." Lance said. 

"The fact that the Red Lion came to help Keith from so far away is a vital piece of information." Shiro said.

"It wasn't just me." Keith explained. "Between me and Allura we were able to reach out to the Red Lion."

"He's right." said Allura. "We now have proof that Zarkon can infect connect with the Black Lion over a far greater distance. His vast amount of quintessence is giving him some of increase in power."

"So, you used your Altean energy, whatever you call it, and Keith's bond with the Red Lion to get it to find you guys?" Lance said, his eyes widening at the discovery.

Hunk clapped his hands together, his eyes sparkling. "Awww! That's so romantic!" he then frowned. "And, also bad. Well, bad because now we know Zarkon can in fact reach the Black Lion, but still the whole you guys contacting the lion together is very sweet."

"Then, how are we going to stop Zarkon from finding us again?" Pidge asked.

"When Keith called out to the Red Lion, I sensed their link." Allura explained. "Without it, my quintessence wouldn't have been able to amplify our energy for it to find us from afar. Zarkon may be able to locate the Black Lion from a distance, but his original bond with the Black Lion is still the key."

"Then it's settled." Shiro said. "Unless we want Zarkon to take control of Voltron every time we get close, I'll have to forge a new bond with my lion. One that's stronger than his."

While the couple's test may have--in a literally and figurative sense--blown up in their faces, at least they managed to uncover a very important piece of information. They figured out how Zarkon was tracking them, and a way on how to stop him from finding them again.

And even if Keith couldn't get Allura to change her mind about the Galra, at least he knew he wasn't being tracked by Zarkon, and neither was Allura. Plus, he and the princess used their special connection to save themselves and reach their friends in time, and Allura got to experienced the forming of Voltron and witness it's amazing power first hand.

All in all, not the worst day, but there were still two lingering issues. Shiro needing to forge a new bond with his lion…

And Keith figuring out wether he is truly Galra or not. His eyes glanced towards Allura, her soft smile and loving gaze melted his heart.

If there was anything worse than getting blown up… it was realizing he could possibly share the same blood as his girlfriend's number one enemy.


	16. Chapter 16

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Free cookie for whoever guests the cameo!

After Keith and Allura's little adventure, the team concluded that Zarkon could in fact reach them through the Black Lion. Shiro made it his top priority to forge and even stronger bond with his lion, while Coran and the others would gather new Teladuve lenses for the wormhole generator to work again. Only, since Alteans were the only ones who could use a Teladuve ten thousand years ago, finding them may be like trying to find a needle in a mountain sized hay stack.

Coran recalled once place where they could possibly find them. Looking through some of his old photos, Coran found images of his younger days traveling with Allura's father to a swamp moon where these four armed creatures known as the Unallu traded all kinds of items from around the universe, but only if the price was right.

However, Allura had a different name for them; Space Pirates! Which, they actually were. They roamed the galaxy and dealt in black market goods. According to her, they managed to swindle Coran out of everything he had once. Needless to say she wasn't too thrilled about the idea of going to that place.

Though, Coran did manage to make Allura laugh with one story from his time with the Unallu, about him giving up three quarters of his shipment of lengoe for a used pulgo olsolator.

"Father was not pleased about that." Allura said, still giggling.

Keith noticed from Coran's images that one of the Unallu was selling an assortment of knifes. Made from different materials in different styles. One looked vaguely similar to his own, but only in similar design. Other than that, it was an entirely different blade. He was snapped out of his thoughts when Lance slid to his side, nudging his arm with his elbow.

"Well, while Coran is picking us his lenses, maybe you can take your lady out shopping for something sparkly. Eh, eh?" Lance said with a grin, while continuously poking his arm.

Keith's cheeks turned red in embarrassment, while Allura only giggled. The Red Paladin narrowed his eyes at his teammate. "I think I liked it better when you were jealous."

"What can I say? I ship it now!" Lance recoiled in terror when Coran suddenly manifested between the two. Keith remained unfazed, while Lance looked at the Altean like he was crazy.

"This isn't shopping! You're not wandering around saying; "Oh, what a lovely pink hat, this is so becoming!" No! I can't allow Allura to get anywhere near those filthy lowballing Unallu hoodlums!"

"But I'd love something sparkly." Allura said, holding her hands together, close to her heart while smiling and giving Coran the puppy dog eyes. As nasty as the swamp moons sounded, it has been a long time since she was able to just gaze at lovely pieces of jewelry, or observe foreign trinkets from other planets. Going to the Altean marketplace was one of the many childhood memories she was most fond of.

Normally, those big sparkly blue eyes often worked on Coran, but today they had little to no effect on him. "Look, you're the only one who can operate the castle, and you need to be resting after all you've been through."

Allura dropped her arms and pouted in disappointment. "But I'm not even tired." she said, which was true. After the experience within Voltron, Allura didn't feel even the slightest bit tired. If anything, she was more charged up than ever.

In all honesty, for Keith, the image of him and Allura getting the chance to look at all kinds of alien treasures from all around the galaxy, walking side by side, observing Allura's eyes light up the way they always did when she saw something that sparked her interest and just being able to relax a bit after the experience they just had was all too tempting.

It would be as if they were just a normal, everyday couple. As great as it was to be a part of Voltron and saving countless lives, now the simplest of activities seemed to have gained a new sense of pristine to it. They fought Galra every day, but not explore a marketplace.

His eyes caught sight of the knives and daggers on display at one of the Unallu's tables from Coran's photos. If these aliens really did sell all kinds of treasures from all around the galaxy, maybe he could figure out more about his knife. Like where it came from and maybe there was an entirely different way as to how it got into his father's hands. Maybe it landed on earth somehow, in someway.

He still hadn't told Allura, and if he started going around asking about knifes she would get suspicious. He needed to know this first before telling her. As much as it pained him, their little adventure through a marketplace would have to wait another day. And even so, he'd find a way to make it up to her.

"Coran's right." Keith said, getting Allura's attention. "Besides, it would be best to have someone here at the castle in case we run into any trouble."

Allura sighed in defeat. "I suppose. It's just so disappointing. We spend so much time either fighting the Galra or running from them, we hardly have much time to just… have some fun."

"We flew through space and were rescued by the Red Lion. That was fun." Keith said, trying to lighten the mood a bit.

Allura chuckled at his adorable attempt at a joke. "You know what I mean." the princess took a few steps closer towards Keith, wrapping her arms around his neck, her voice lowering slightly as she spoke and an eloquent tone.

"It would have been so nice to just explore the market. See all of those treasures and trinkets. We'd get to spend some extra time together. You and me." Allura's hands rested on his chest, her face only inches away from his. One of her hands fiddled with the side of his jacket. Her voice was so eloquent and confident.

It was like she read his mind. The two of them, together, all day, just enjoying each other's company as if the entire universe wasn't in an all out war was as tempting as a forbidden fruit. Should he place his quest on hold in order to spend one day with his girlfriend that didn't involve them getting blown to bits of worried about wether or not the Galra was tracking them?

Much to his own disappointment, his common sense won over. If he didn't figure this out, then even if they did get another chance like this wouldn't be as wonderful because he wouldn't stop thinking about his dilemma. He was trying to understand where he came from, wether or not his past was linked to the Galra. He was doing this not only for himself… but for her.

Allura deserved to know the truth, but first he needed to be sure first. It he wasn't Galra, then _Hallelujah_, everything can go back to normal. But if he shared the same blood as his girlfriend's most hated enemy…

As much as it pained him… _really_, really pained him given how desirable she made the whole fantasy sound, Keith had to decline. Lucky for him, Coran stepped in before he could.

"I'm sorry, Princess. You'll have to have your romantic rendezvous some other time."

"I'll make it up to you, I promise." Keith said, placing both hands on her arms and leaned in for a kiss. Allura replied by kissing back, her hands still on his chest, fingers curling to grip his shirt.

Coran then yanked Keith by the collar of his shirt, away from the princess, breaking their kiss, much to both of their dismay. "No time to waste, now! Let's ready a pod for our mission. We need to get in, find the skultrite lenses and just get out."

Keith shot final look at Allura, winking in her direction before being pulled away by the others as they left. All that remained were Shiro and Allura, the former left in order to form a greater bond with his lion, leaving Allura all to herself.

"So what am I supposed to do now? Just sit around and worry all day?"

Her little mice friends scurried up her shoulders, squeaking in their language, which Allura understood. Her smile widened. Maybe being in the castle wouldn't be so boring after all.

"Dinner? And a show?”

(~)

This supposed dangerous black-market Coran kept talking about was not at all what Keith had expected. There weren't any stands with all sorts of illegal goods out for sale, or even these four-armed Unallu aliens bargaining with unsuspecting customers, eyeing them like a hungry predator out on the hunt. The area wasn't as dirty as Keith had anticipated. In fact, it wasn't a black marketplace at all it was….

"A regular mall."

Pidge took the words right out of Keith's mouth. The swamp moon was way cleaner than any of them had expected and the building reminded Keith of literally every mall he had ever seen on earth. Complete with the polished exterior, escalators and people coming in and out of various stores with five to ten shopping bags in hand.

It would seem Coran hadn't thought about the fact that a lot can change in ten thousand years.

The team split up to cover more ground and would meet again at the giant clock in one hour. But first, the paladins needed to get rid of their ridiculous disguises first. Coran believed they would be safer this way, but if anything they looked like a group of comic book convention nerds dressed as their favorite video game characters. They were in a space fall filled with a diverse variety of alien species, and yet they were the ones who made everyone's eyes turn.

After tossing their costumes in a nearby trash bin the group began their quest for the lenses. "Alright, Pidge you and Lance go search the west side of the mall. Hunk you take east. I'll go south."

"Wait, how come you get to give the orders?" Lance said, looking rather annoyed. But Keith wasn't in the mood right now to deal with Lance's attitude.

"Let's just find those lenses so we can go." Keith said, trying not to rise his voice too much but failed.

Lance only shrugged. "Whatever. Come on, Pidge. Maybe we can get a smoothie while we're at it."

With that, the team split apart, leaving Keith all on his own. His original plans of uncovering more about his knife would have to be for another time. Even more frustrating, maybe the search would have been less boring with Allura. They could have searched the lenses together, no doubt Allura would have loved window shopping. There were dress shops and jewelry stores to his left and even a few book stores to his right.

Keith walked past all kinds of stores. Pet stores, shoe stores, a game store, furniture stores, even one that sold only highly advanced fans, but there was no sign of the teladuve lenses anywhere.

Just when he was about to turn back, Keith spotted something that caught his attention. A small group of aliens stood before a stand where a four armed alien was selling kitchen knifes. Keith immediately recognized him as one of the Unallu aliens from Coran's pictures. Only, reacher than some kind of slimy looking space pirate, this guy reminded Keith of those television salesmen from those shopping networks. He certainly had the charisma and flair for it.

But it wasn't the alien's persona that got Keith's attention, but rather the knifes he was using. Sure he was promoting them like a television salesmen would promote a brand new kitchen utensil, but this type of knife wasn't the same as he had seen on earth. Much like his own knife, it was extraterrestrial in origin. Not only were his knifes capable of cutting through fruit, but also rock. These particular knifes may be of better use in the kitchen, but maybe he knew something that could point Keith in the right direction.

"Now how much would you pay?" he asked the aliens in front of him. The two walked away, completely disinterested.

"I just had a question."

"Fine, what'ya got?"

Keith pulled out the knife and placed it on the table in front of the alien. "Have you ever come across something like this?"

The Unallu salesman took out a magnifying glass and attached it to his left eye to examine the knife. "Whoa, this craftsmanship is incredible, and is this a luxaid blade? The planet they mined that from hasn't existed and decafeebs." the Unallu's magnifying glass 'popped' out of his eye and he stared at Keith with new interest in the knife he held in his hand, gripping it as if it were some kind of priceless artifact he feared would be taken from him.

"Where'd you get this?"

"Someone gave it to me." Keith replied.

"Okay, that's vague. Tell you what, I'll give you a thousand ghack to take it off your hands."

"It's not for sale." Keith said, perfectly composed and in control.

"Two thousand!" The alien insisted.

"No thanks. Give it back."

"How about this, I keep the knife and you beat it before security gets here, I know it's stolen."

"It's not stolen!"

"Then tell me where you got it."

Clearly this guy wasn't going to give Keith the answers he needed. He forcibly grabbed the alien's wrist, which held his knife. The Unallu tried to scare him off with one of his kitchen knifes, which Keith blocked using his own knife, which was still held with the alien's other half. After a very short knife fight, Keith pried his knife out of the alien's hands, ignoring his yelling which faded the further Keith ran into the crowd, loosing sight of the Unallu knife salesman.

"Well, that was a waste of time." Keith thought as he ran from the knife stand. Coran was right, these Unallu really were scoundrels. Still, he had a job to do, search for those lenses and get out. He had already wasted a good five minutes with that looser, no more time to waste.

But the disappointment of not uncovering more about his knife still lingered. What would he do now? What else could he do to find out the truth?

As if the situation wasn't disappointing enough, for being lost in his thoughts, Keith had wandered into a part of the mall that sold items for a cheep price. Now this part of the mall really did resemble a marketplace or a bazar, only it was cleaner and friendlier. There were parents with their children looking at some old toys, some that reminded him of the antique glass dolls from back on earth. The children certainly seemed to like them.

One little boy ran up to his parents, the father lifted him up into the air making him giggle. The mother placed a kiss on the child's forehead. A small smile formed on Keith's lips, while at the same time a familiar feeling of sadness weighted on his chest. The scene was beautiful, but it only reminded Keith of what he didn't have.

The more he walked through the indoor bazar he saw more happy families, and even a few couples. Their fingers intertwined as they explored the place, buying each other gifts and in a few nearby benches they sat together, sharing ice cream or happily chatting. Keith even saw a few of the women wearing engagement rings, while others rubbed their swollen bellies, indicating they were pregnant.

He wondered what Allura would think of this place. She would have certainly love the simplicity of the place, and maybe even swoon at the adorable children innocently playing around with each other and their parents. Maybe she would adore the simple looking jewelry that was on display and maybe they could have shared that space ice cream together on one of the benches.

To think, this moment could have been theirs, but instead Keith chose to focus on looking for answers, which wasn't a wrong decision, but he couldn't stop the stinging pain of regret that was already taking over, alongside his disappointment.

He stopped in front of the last jewelry stand, his eyes lazily scanning the line of necklaces until he saw something that made his eyes widen in alarm.

It was a simple golden locket, held by a golden chain, but it was the symbol on it that made him reach out to grab it before his brain could process what he was doing. He held it by the chain, the small locket glistening in the light. The symbol was that of a flower, but not just any flower…

"The Altean Flower is a rare find. Yet, I have not made a sale, and I have tried."

Keith nearly jolted backwards when he heard the vendor speak. Taking a better look he noticed the alien was a female. An anthropomorphic Zebra/woman hybrid with human-like hands, but had only four fingers, long and slender. Her neck was slim and her face was smaller than that of a normal Zebra, but the muzzle was undefinable. Her ears were perched forward in interest, adorned with a pair of golden hooped earrings and she wore a golden necklace which matched the golden bracelets on her wrists. She had black cloven hooves instead of feet, each one with a golden anklet. Her tail, unlike with most zebras, was long, almost like a horse's and her black and white hair was styled into a mohawk. Her eyes were slender and beautiful, a vibrant shade aquamarine.

"I-I'm sorry, I was just looking." Keith stammered, hesitant to place the necklace back on the table, and getting into trouble again. It was the first, and probably only, time he had ever seen so much as the image of a juniperberry flower from anywhere else other than the Astral Plane.

"Do not apologize. It's very rare to see someone admire the locket. But I will say, your eyes looked as if they would fall out for their sockets." said the zebra lady, speaking in rhyme. Keith blinked a few times, unsure on how to answer her.

"Where did you find this?"

"These items I make myself and have sold, inspired by the tales of young and old. Altea's story is of great tragedy, so I honor their memory with their flower's majesty."

And indeed she had accomplished it. The zebra woman captured the Altean flower's details almost as if she were there herself. How she was able to do this he didn't know, but it was still astonishing none the less. He was about to place the necklace back on the table. To his surprise, the zebra woman took it into her own hand and placed it back on Keith's.

"Please, don't be sheepish. You may have it if you wish."

"But, I don't have any money."

"The payment for this I do not require. It is a gift for who's heart you desire."

Keith was struck cold at her conclusion. "I-uh, I don't--"

"Your posture is stiff and unsure, but your eyes speak words that are true and pure. A boy in love is not hard to miss, only for those who choose to dismiss."

"Do you always speak in rhyme?" Keith asked, unsure if he would regret his question or not.

"When I have the time." The zebra winked. Well, that answers that.

Keith looked at the locket in his hand, tracing his thumb over it. The flower was done in eloquent designs and the center was adorned with a diamond that tied the whole thing together. He managed to pry it open, but as expected there was nothing on there, which only gave room to add something in there instead. Allura did say she wanted something sparkly, and the texture of the flower's petals certainly were when they captured the light. Not to mention, it was a physical reminder of her favorite flower.

"Thank you." Keith said, smiling in gratitude as he held the locket in his palm. "This is very kind of you."

"Generosity is hard to come by now a days. But those who still hope always find their ways."

Keith was about to take his leave, but not before a thought came to him. "Hey, would it be alright if I asked you a question?"

"Ask away, my friend. An honest answer from me you can depend."

"You've traveled a lot, right? Is that how you're able to make all of these?" Keith gestured to the rest of the necklaces.

"I am a nomad by nature, of that you can be sure."

Keith placed the knife on her table. "Have you ever seen anything like this before?"

The zebra woman tapped her chin as he looked at the knife. He traced her fingers over its surface, her beautiful eyes reflected off of its surface. Keith could see the gears in her mind working as she examined the knife.

"I have seen much, of this I tell no lies, but I'm sorry to say I have never seen this with my own eyes."

Keith dropped his shoulders and he took back the knife. "Oh. Well, thanks anyway."

The zebra woman placed a hand on his shoulder. "There, there, do not be fraught. If it helps, may I speak some words I have been taught?"

"Sure."

"You search what you want, hoping to succeed. Try looking deeper, and you'll find what you need."

Keith arched an eyebrow. "I'm not sure I understand."

"You will, if you are patient and still." The zebra woman gave him a knowing wink, which made Keith smile a bit. This zebra lady was a bit strange, but pleasant to speak with. Keith then noticed a clock on the wall and remembered he had to meet with the others soon.

"Thanks for the locket." Keith said before dashing out of the bazar area. The zebra woman only smiled, silently wishing the boy well on his quest.

After a quick bathroom break, Keith ran into Hunk, who was running from a Galra mall security guard (a very overweight Galra security guard), riding on a hovering scooter. They ran right pass Lance and Pidge, yelling at them to run. Imagine Keith's surprise to see that Lance and Pidge had managed to purchase an authentic earth video game…

And a cow… on a overboard… which they used to escape the Galra security guard and pick up Coran, who found the Teladuve lenses…. and here he thought getting some kind of sage advice from a zebra lady who spoke in rhyme was weird.

Whatever, they managed to get the lenses and return to the castle, where they found that Allura managed to pass the time by having the mice do her hair. As adorable as it was to have the mice braiding Allura's hair the way they did, this was, while not hideous, it wasn't hard to believe it was done by well meaning mice. If anything, Keith thought it looked adorable and a bit funny.

Allura noticed him stiffening a laugh and she only rolled her eyes. "It was the mice's idea, but go ahead, laugh it up." she said, as if expecting him to say something he knew he was going to regret later.

"Wha--No, no, it's adorable! You should wear it more often." Keith said, unable to keep himself from laughing. Allura playfully punched him arm, laughing as well. He then noticed that someone else was missing. "Hey, where's Shiro?"

Literally one second later, the doors opened and their leader walked right in. "What did you do, take a nap?" Allura asked.

"Not exactly." Shiro replied, his attention then turned towards Lance. "Is that a cow?"

"His name is Kalteneker." Lance said, the cow mooed in responce.

"So, did you find a way to bond with your lion?" Keith asked, trying to draw his attention from something more normal after today… which was asking his older brother figure if he had forged a stronger bond with his giant mechanical cat…

All it took was a day at a space mall for Keith to come to the full realization of just how weird his life had gotten up until now. Though, at this point, who could define what was considered "weird" anymore?

"Yes, and we need to get moving. We're heading for the Blade of Marmora's Headquarters."

Silence took over the entire control room. Keith's attention quickly shifted from Shiro to Allura, who was already unbinding the braids her mice friends had made her. When he walked in, Allura was beaming with such childlike joy akin to the children he saw at the mall. Now, that happy, spirited princess had to take a back seat for the stern leader and pilot of the Castle ship.

Her hair had come undone, cascading down her back like a waterfall of seafood before being organized into a bun. The contrast between the two was almost alarming. He was so focused on Allura's shift in persona that the sound of Pidge's disappointed cries were almost deff in his ears.

It was then he realized that this weird day was only the calm before the storm. He might not have been able to uncover the secrets of his past at that mall, but if there was anyone else who could give him the answers it was the people who actually owned them.

The locket the kind zebra woman had given him was still in his pocket.


	17. Chapter 17

_"Allura! Allura!" Keith called out, searching for the princess in the juniperberry fields. He spotted her sitting near a lake. "Allura!" upon the third cry, she looked up in his direction._

_"Keith? You came back."_

_"Of course I came back." he said once he had arrived. "I want to apologize for what I said yesterday."_

_"It's okay. I probably shouldn't have pushed so hard."_

_"No, you were right to push. The thing is, it's not that I was afraid you wouldn't understand but… it's that actually talking about my past has always been hard. I kind of, break down and, I don't like people seeing me like that. I don't need people feeling sorry for me."_

_Allura reached out to touch his hand. "Keith, it's not that I pity you. I want to help you in any way I can the same way you want to help me. I care about you."_

_It wasn't every day that Keith heard those words. Sure, he heard them from Shiro, but when Allura said them there was something… extra in there. Something new, something Keith had only ever heard of but rarely, if not ever, had experienced before._

_"I care about you too. I care about you in a way I… I never imagined I could care for anyone."_

_Allura was almost at a loss for words. Keith had spoken kindly to her many times before, but this time, there was something… different in his words. Just as there was something different in his eyes. They were not only soft and warm as they always were, but there was also a certain sparkle to them, which was new to see. Keith witnessed the same sparkle in her eyes as well._

_The scenery shifted back to the desert, where Keith's shack was. Allura tilted her head in confusion. "Why are we here again?"_

_Keith stood up, taking Allura's hands into his and helped her back to her feet. "There's a few things you should know about this place… if you're still curious about my past."_

_"You sure?"_

_Keith surprised Allura by tucking a stray strand of silver hair behind her hear. The warm touch of his hand against her skin made her heart leap and body tremble._

_"I trust you." he said before leading her back inside the shack, ready to reveal to her more about the long history behind it._

_(~)_

Keith didn't know how it was possible, but he was so anxious he couldn't even get himself to tap his foot impatiently, which was something most people did when nervous. Or bit their lips, or played with their wrists. But for Keith, his body was ice cold. They were only a few hours away from the Blade of Marmora's base, and he wasn't sure how to feel.

He was nervous, hesitant, eager, and frustrated all at once. He sat on his paladin chair, arms and elbows on his legs, hunched over. He kept looking over his shoulder to see if Allura's expression had changed at all during this time.

It didn't.

The princess still looked as cold and reluctant as when they first started their course. His fists clenched with every passing minute, trying to ease some tension with more tension to cancel it out. Or maybe he just needed to vent out his frustrations in some way.

This was crazy, he might be blowing this whole thing out of proportion. But still, there was no denying everything that's happened. The knife, his dream, the Galra tech responding to him, the bits of his past that were just too fuzzy to place together. Something inside was telling him that there was something more behind the knife, and himself.

He was terrified of what he might find. He could easily just forget the whole thing and pretend it never happened, go back to the way things were. A wishful part of him was saying this, but another part was urging, screaming even to figure this out.

As if things weren't stressful enough, now Pidge was geeing about the space pocket of where the base is, which Hunk kept comparing to food, and Lance started whining about being hungry.

"Guys, this is a serious mission, we need to focus."

"-'We need to focus!'-" Lance taunted, mimicking Keith's tone, very badly at that.

They finally arrived at the Blade of Marmora's base, which was located within a ant blue star, set in between two black holes.

"Is that a black hole?!" Hunk asked in disbelief.

"No, no. It's two black holes." Coran stated, "And a giant blue star."

"That's not better!"

"No kidding." Pidge said, adjusting her glasses. "Just inside a black hole the temperature is one millionth of a degree above absolute zero. But, just outside of that, it's hundreds of millions of degrees celsius."

"Oh, it's like when you put a frozen burrito in the microwave, it comes out all scorching on the outside, but still frozen in the middle right?" Hunk said, all the while Pidge rolled her eyes.

"Now I'm hungry for lunch!" Lance whined.

Before he could even try and reason with himself, Keith got up from his seat and snapped, his voice was practically a roar. "Guys, quiet! Coran, where's the base located?"

"In between those two celestial objects." Coran said, zooming in on the blue star where they saw a hovering base, surrounded by smaller bits of meteorite.

"The perfect defensive position." Pidge said.

"Or the perfect trap." Allura stated, her eyes narrowed.

"Yeah, I'm with Allura. Maybe we shouldn't go in there at all." Hunk said.

"No!" Keith snapped, once again before he could get a good grip on himself. He'd come too far, he wasn't about to turn back now. "We have to go in, this is the whole reason we came out here! There is no other option!"

"Okay, okay, calm down." Lance said, while everyone else just stared at Keith, either surprised by his outburst or unsurprised at all. It wasn't anything new for Keith to be hot headed and impatient, but this was a tad extreme even for him.

Keith took in a deep breath and looked away. He couldn't even will himself to glance at Allura, who's expression softened. Something was clearly bothering Keith, but if there was why hadn't he told her?

A voice was heard from the computer, followed by some strange wording in purple and white coloring. It was a language nobody had ever seen or read of before, but thankfully the voice was understood perfectly.

"Identify yourself." it said. Shiro introduced them as the paladins of Voltron and that they had been sent by Ulaz. The computer complied and allowed only two to enter the base, but unarmed.

"Why would they insist we come unarmed?" Allura said, her body stiff. "Shiro, this doesn't feel right."

"We've come too far to turn back now." Shiro said.

"They've just sent us a route to the base, but we'll have to move quickly." said Coran. "Because of the solar flares it's only open for another varga. Then it will be closed for two quicktense."

"So, any thoughts on who's gonna join you on this little mission?" Lance asked Shiro, trying to play it cool. "I'm thinking things might get a little hot so you're gonna want someone who can stay cool."

"You're right. Keith, you're coming with me."

"But Keith's a hot-head! He's probably gonna shoot first and ask questions later! No offense Keith, but it's true." Lance said. Keith simply ignored him.

"We haven't yet severed Zarkon's link with the Black Lion so it has to stay here." Shiro explained. "And the Red Lion can withstand the head of that star, so yes, it will be Keith."

"The course to the base will be quite treacherous, to say the least." Coran said. "You're walking a razor's edge between the gravitational pull of the black holes and the sun. One false move, and you'll either be crushed into infinity or burnt to a crisp."

Allura didn't like the sound of that, but she should trust that Keith and Shiro would be able to handle things on their own. Still, leaving the team's leader and her boyfriend in the hands of those Galra made her uneasy.

Keith got into his paladin armor and headed into the hangar to get the Red Lion, only to see Allura there. "I just wanted to wish you good luck, and to please be careful."

"We'll be fine Allura, don't worry." Keith said, trying to sound more confident than he really was.

Allura crossed her arms, "I just don't feel right with the two of you down there, unarmed with those…" she suddenly found herself hesitant to even say the 'G' word in front of him.

Keith stepped closer, gently placing his hands on her arms. "If anything happens Shiro and I can candle it. Besides, you guys will be here in case we need you. But I really think we should give these guys the benefit of the doubt."

Allura's brows furrowed. Keith was still hung up on trusting these Galra. Images of Ulaz's sacrifice flashed in her eyes and she remembered that sense of remorse and grief from witnessing the event before her eyes. Allura wasn't heartless that she wouldn't genuinely feel bad over someone's death, especially if it was done to spare the lives of her friends. Still, it could have been an elaborate hoax, or not, there was no way to really tell. It's no wonder she was concerned.

Still, she didn't want Keith to leave on this dangerous mission after an argument. She didn't care about that right now, all she cared about was that he got back in one piece.

"If anything happens, do not hesitate to contact me. I'll ram the castle into their base if I have to."

Keith couldn't help but smile at her devotion. At that moment, he could see that fire in her eyes. That light, that shimmer that was the woman he loved. He was thankful he hadn't placed on his helmet yet, allowing him to kiss her fully on the lips. His hands went from her arms to her waist, and Allura cupped the back of his neck, bringing him in closer.

This. This is exactly what he didn't want to change.

He hoped, prayed even, that whatever happened today, he would still be able to hold Allura the way he did now. To kiss her just like this. To have his heart feel like it was soaring every time they were this close. To feel like he was home, that for once he actually belonged somewhere. Right here. With the team. With Voltron.

With Allura.

The two parted just when Shiro arrived. He smiled and chuckled, patting Keith on the back. "Come on, Keith. You can continue when you get back." Allura gave Keith one more peck on the lips before the two got into the lion and took off. But before that, Shiro noticed how Keith's hand seemed to linger on Allura's before parting. It was as if he were saying goodbye for good.

They followed the coordinates the base had given them. Keith kept his undivided attention on the screen, keeping it nice and steady making sure they would not be blown off course.

"Keith, is everything okay?" Shiro asked. Keith wasn't expecting him to ask that question. He thought he was being inconspicuous with his emotions right now. He wasn't aware that Shiro had noticed the way Keith was almost reluctant to let go of Allura's hand back at the hangar, not to mention the way Keith snapped at everyone almost out of the blue.

"I'm fine."

"You kind of blew up at everybody back there. You'll have to control your emotions if you're going to lead this group someday."

Keith's cold exterior broke, his eyes widened and he forced a chuckle. "Lead the group?" he asked, as if Shiro was trying to tell a joke.

"When we were stranded I told you, if anything ever happens to me I want you to lead Voltron."

"I thought you were just delirious with pain." Keith said. He hadn't even thought about that ever since they were rescued. He didn't think it would ever get brought up again. Keith was already going through enough issues right now, why did Shiro have to throw this into the fire as well?

"Why would you make me the leader?"

"Because I know what you're capable of. _If_ you can learn some self discipline."

"Why are we even talking about this? Nothing is going to happen to you." Keith turned his attention back to the green, hoping this would be enough to drop the conversation entirely.

"It's just in case. I need you to get focused." Shiro said, placing a hand on Keith's shoulder and he looked back at the older paladin. "When you and Allura ran off it put us all in jeopardy. If you're going to be a leader you've got to get your head on straight."

Keith looked down at his control. Shiro was right, even if Keith wasn't going to be a leader he still needed to learn self control. There was a lot he still needed to learn, and the last thing he wanted was to endanger the team. He would never be able to forgive himself if he did. The same way Allura wouldn't have forgiven herself if she had uncovered she was the one Zarkon was using to find them.

"I'm sorry. I've just had a lot on my mind."

"I know. We all have. But, if you don't mind me asking, is everything okay with you and Allura?"

"Yeah. Why do you ask?"

"Just wanted to be sure. I was worried maybe something had happened between you guys that was distracting you."

In a way, Shiro was right. Something was distracting Keith, but not in the way Shiro thought.

"No, we're doing fine. Great, actually. If this is about us running off we only did it because we wanted to protect the team. We realized our mistake and it won't happen again. We both want to stop Zarkon and save the universe. I apreciate your concern but you can relax. Allura and I are on the same page."

Shiro could sense there was sincerity in Keith's words, but at the last part he picked up some subtle hints of uncertainty. Still, he figured he had pried enough into Keith's personal life for now.

"Well, good. I'm happy to hear it."

Their conversation must have distracted Keith long enough because they were getting sucked in by one of the black holes. Using the lion's speed, Keith managed to get them to the base unharmed. Once they arrived, they were met with two Blade of Marmora members. Just like Ulaz, they were full body suits with glowing purple outlines mixed with shades of blue. One looked taller and small, while the other was shorter and almost slender, like a female. They both wore masks that covered their faces.

The two Galra members led them down a hatch, which doubled an an elevator, where they met the leader of the order. His name was Kolivan. On both his right and left side he had members of the blade, and the symbol hung above him.

"We are paladins of Voltron." Shiro said.

"I know who you are."

"Then you know we were sent by one of your own."

"Ulaz was a fool to give his location to you. He had a habit of ignoring orders and following his impulses. That's what got him killed."

"He gave his life to save us!" Shiro exclaimed, while surprisingly still keeping his composure.

"You were told to come unarmed." Kolivan said.

"You also told us to identify ourselves!" Keith exclaimed. Unlike Shiro, he didn't keep much of his composure, but flat out yelled at them like he had equal authority. "The lion's are about as close as we come to an ID!"

"I wasn't referring to your beast."

One of the masked Marmora members ambushed Keith from behind, twisting his arms and knocking him down to the floor. Shiro tried to help but was blocked by another member and the one that pinned Keith down pulled out his knife.

The same one with the Marmora symbol on it. Shiro was frozen in place. He had seen Keith's knife before, but he never was aware of the symbol. He didn't even know it had it.

"He has one of our blades! Who did you steal this from?" the Galra who held Keith hostage asked, his voice distorted within his mask.

"I didn't! I've had it all my life!"

"Lies!"

"Does this blade truly belong to him?" Kolivan asked Shiro. The Black Paladin stared at Keith, unsure on what to say. Why did Keith have that knife? How long did he gave it? Had he always known what it meant?

"I… I don't know." Shiro replied, not because he believed Keith was a traitor or a lier, but because he didn't know where Keith had gotten it from. It was an honest answer, though the implications behind it could have made this go either way.

"Shiro, you know me, I promise you I didn't steal it. I've had this knife for as long as I can remember." Keith grunted when the Galra pushed him farther against the floor.

"We can't trust them!"

"I'm telling the truth! I saw Ulaz had a knife like this. Tell me what it means."

"Our organization is built on secrecy and trust." Kolivan said. "You two should leave. Now."

The Galra finally released Keith, who held his arm, still feeling the sting from when he twisted it behind his back. Shiro approached his friend then narrowed his eyes at the Blade of Marmora leader. "We came here to form an alliance, but obviously we're not welcome. Come on, Keith. We're leaving."

"Not without some answers." Keith turned to face Kolivan. "Somehow one of your knifes ended up with me on planet earth. Tell me how."

"Your friend is right, it is time for you to go."

"Where did it come from?" Keith insisted. He refused to leave without getting what he wanted, and what he wanted was the truth. "I have to know." his voice sounded almost desperate. He couldn't stand this uncertainty anymore. He needed to get the truth.

Kolivan was silent for a moment before speaking. "You seek knowledge? There is only one way to attain knowledge here."

"How? I'll do it!"

"The Trials of Marmora. Should you survive you may keep the blade, and it's secrets will be revealed."

"Survive? Keith, this is crazy!" Shiro said, "If they're not going to help us let's get out of here!"

"I'm not going anywhere. I have to do this."

"Atta, give the boy his blade." Kolivan ordered. The Galra who took down Keith reluctantly handed him back the knife.

"We will meet again."

"Can't wait." Keith replied with a frown, taking the sword back once Atta let go.

"These trials result in one of two things. Knowledge…or _Death_."

The Marmora members placed Keith in some kind of full body suit, with the neon colors of the order. Armed with only his knife. The trials were a series of battles, Keith against a number of Marmora members.

The first fight was Keith against a single Galra warrior. Just like all the others he wore a mask and hood over his head. He ordered Keith to give up the knife, but the young paladin refused. He lunged forward and fought his opponent, using his small knife against his long sharp blade.

Keith managed to hold his own for a while, but the Galra proved to be a far more experienced fighter. He sliced Keith's shoulder, which was protected by the suit so it kept him from bleeding. Nevertheless, a mark of the cut was formed onto the surface of the suit.

From outside, Shiro and Kolivan watched the fight from a computer screen. Shiro had to watch helplessly as Keith was thrown around like a rag doll and then forced to his knees when the Galra twisted his arm. Keith recognized the move, no doubt it was the exact same Galra who knocked him down when they first arrived.

"Surrender the blade and the pain will cease."

"I won't quit!" Keith exclaimed, seeing bits of his own reflection on the side of the knife that was close to his cheek. The Galra could have sliced him right then and there, but instead he released him. The young man's face was already bruised and he felt as if he had been fighting for hours on end, even though the trials had only just started.

"You are not meant to go through that door." the Marmoran said, stepping aside to reveal said door.

Keith took a few steps forward. When his opponent did not stop him, he made a mad dash for it. A bright light blinded him temporarily and two more warriors appeared.

The pattern continued on, with every room Keith entered he faced an extra number of Marmora members. Shiro couldn't do anything but watch as Keith was thrown to the ground over the Marmoran's shoulder, and punched in either the stomach, ribs of face. He was forced to his knees, yet again, but he was still breathing. One of the Marmorans pointed his blade at Keith.

"Surrender the blade and the pain will cease."

"_Never!_"

"You are not meant to go through that door."

Just like before, Keith ignored him and went on for the door. This time, it was three Marmorans Keith had to face. He was exhausted, he knew that, but he kept on going. Keith was kicked, punched and tossed around more times than he could count, but every time Keith still managed to fight his way through them, just barely managing to keep himself steady every single time he stood, he proceeded forward. Every time one would tell him to stop Keith defiantly disobeyed and went onto the next door.

The fourth one was just as hard as the third, nearly getting a second cut on his left leg. He partly limped until he reached the fifth. Just as expected, five Marmorans appeared before him. The same process continued on from the fifth, to the sixth, to the seventh.

(~)

"How long has it been?" Allura asked, impatiently tapping her foot, arms crossed, her eyes never once leaving the screen that showed the blue star.

"Roughly ten vargas." Coran said.

"We can not just wait here."

They have been waiting long enough and there had been no word from either one of the paladins. Allura's nerves prevented her from staying still. She waved her hand and a screen appeared before her.

"I have to know what's going on down there." she said, eyes narrowed and her jaw partly clenched. If any of those Galra had done anything to Keith, she would--

"There's not way to get a read on that base." Pidge said, interrupting Allura's process. "Too much interference from the solar flares and the black holes."

"If we account for the gravitational lensing, maybe we can reduce the noise and interference and connect with the Red Lion's sensors, right?" Hunk asked, "That's right, right?"

Lance looked back and forth between Hunk and Coran. "Are you looking at me?"

"We could give it a try." said Coran, already getting to work.

"Get on it." Allura ordered. Her eyes only partly softened as she thought about what Keith and Shiro could be facing in there. She only hoped that they could reach them before it was too late.

(~)

Keith breathed heavily and quickly, wincing at the stinging pain he felt on his right shoulder. The cut from which the first Marmora had sliced him was hurting more and more with every fight. Keith's face was covered in scratched and bruises. He could barely stand, and didn't even have much strength to step forward. The now ten Marmorans approached him. Keith saw the octagon shaped platform closing and an idea flashed in his mind and acted quickly.

With the remaining strength he had, Keith threw his knife towards the ten Marmorans, which hit the platform, preventing it from closing. Keith kicked and punched every incoming opponent before they even had a chance to swing their blades. He charged at one, who pushed him away. Keith used this to his advantage and fell to the floor. With a sly grin, he grabbed his sword from the platform and jumped right in like a pro.

Once he did, Keith walked out, this time walking slower while still gripping his shoulder. "Guess I really wasn't supposed to go through that door." he said, trying to take a page from Shiro's book and lighten the mood with a sprinkle of humor, despite his aching pain. No doubt Shiro was better at it than Keith was.

No Marmorans came out this time, and there didn't appear to be any doors in front of him, or maybe there was. It was hard to tell since the room kept vibrating. His vision was becoming more and more unfocused until he couldn't go on any further. His body finally gave in to his pain and he collapsed.

Keith somehow found the will to open his eyes, seeing a shadow looming over him. For a moment, Keith thought he was dreaming, but one more glance and he knew he wasn't. Shiro stood right in front of him, crunching down, offering him his hand. The image became more focused.

"Hey, man. You did it."

"Shiro?"

With much struggle, Keith got back to his feet, feeling foolish for having given Shiro his injured arm in order to help him stand back up. Keith hunched over, gripping his arm. "Kolivan said you lasted longer than anyone ever has in those battles. You don't have to keep this up."

Keith looked up at Shiro. "What are you talking about?"

"Just give them the knife and let's get out of here."

Give them the knife? Now? After all of that? No, this couldn't be it, he hadn't learned anything. This didn't make any sense, Keith couldn't turn back now. He just couldn't.

"I can't give it to them Shiro."

"What is it with you and that thing?"

"It's the only connection I have to my past. It's my chance to learn who I really am."

"You know exactly who you are, a paladin of Voltron. We're all the family you need." Shiro's voice sounded so… harsh. He didn't normally get this angry, but whenever he did it was never a good sign. He sounded almost disappointed in Keith, a tone he never imagined he would hear coming from someone like Shiro.

Keith gripped the knife in his hand despite the pain in his muscles. He closed his eyes, unable to even look at his friend in the eyes right now. After a moment, he opened them again.

"Shiro… you're like a brother to me… but I have to do this."

"You're really going to abandon us just for a stupid knife? What about Allura?"

Keith's breath caught in his throat at the mention of her name.

"Are you seriously planning on leaving her too? Just like how your mother left you?"

As if his injured arm and bruises across his body weren't painful enough. "What? No! I would never--"

"Then just give them the knife!"

"I can't do that!" Keith snapped, standing his ground. He refused to have Shiro bad mouth him again. "You might not know it but I'm not just doing this for me!"

"Yes you are! You're only thinking of yourself, as usual!"

"No I'm not! If I want to go back home, if I want a future with Allura I have to know who I am!"

"You know who you are."

Keith gasped when a second voice suddenly appeared. Shiro took a step back, revealing none other than the Altean princess standing before Keith. She still wore her battle suit, but instead of her hair being in a bun, it was loose and fell gracefully behind her back.

"Allura?" for a moment, Keith had nearly forgotten how to breath. "How… how are you here?"

"I couldn't bare to wait any longer so I brought the Castle to the base." Allura said as she approached Keith. Her eyes quickly landed on his injured shoulder. "Darling, what have they done to you?" With great care, she placed her hand over it. Her touch felt lighter than usual.

"I'm okay, Allura."

"No, you're not. Look at yourself, you can barely stand, and for what? For that silly little thing?"

"I'm doing this for you. For us."

"Keith, I don't care who you used to be. The past can stay exactly where it is. You don't need it for us to have a future together."

"But--"

"But nothing! Please come back to the castle." Allura cupped his face with her hands, "Come back with me."

Keith leaned against her touch, his hand gently around her wrist. After everything he had just experienced, the feel of her touch eased his pain. More than anything he wanted Allura to be with him. To hold him the way she did now, but his past was something he couldn't walk away from. How could he become a better man if he didn't even know where he came from? He couldn't keep brushing this aside any longer. He needed to face the past once and for all so he could give Allura the future she deserved. So Keith could finally move on. He had to know.

Keith pressed his forehead against hers, holding her closer. "I'm sorry… I've made my choice."

Allura's eyes shimmered with hurt as she stepped away from him. Her lower lip quivered and Keith could have sworn the wound on his arm deepened.

"Then you've chosen to be alone." Shiro said coldly, taking Allura by the arm as if he were her guardian and dragged her away from Keith. The princess couldn't even look at him. The moment she turned away Keith realized his mistake. Despite his decision, the feeling of being left behind prompted Keith to go after him.

"Allura! Shiro! Wait!"

From where he stood, Shiro and Kolivan watched the whole scene. As Kolivan explained, Keith's suit had the ability to created a virtual representation of the wearer's hopes and fears. From the looks of it, it would appear that Shiro's earlier suspicions were right.

There really was something going on between them, only it wasn't because of a fight, it was because Keith needed some kind of closure in order to secure a future with the Altean Princess. Shiro knew Keith was serious about his relationship with Allura but it was still rather astonishing.

Shiro could feel his heart breaking for his friend. Keith had lost so much and despite his loner tendencies, deep down he was a human being who desired a family and a home as much as anyone.

Once the white light diminished Keith blinked a couple times to try and make out what he was seeing. The lighting had completely changed. Rather than colors of black and glowing indigo it was a room with shades of orange and yellow like a sunset or a flame. The interior wasn't made out of metal but cement and concrete.

This wasn't the Blade of Marmora's base… it was Keith's cabin from Earth. How was he here again? Was this some kind of trick? A hologram?

The entire room began to tremble and Keith immediately turned to the door behind him, seeing the skies turning orange and yellow. The sound of explosions quickly followed.

"Keith…"

"_That voice…_" Keith thought, "_It… can't be…_"

Keith couldn't move. He had forgotten how his legs worked. He didn't know if to run towards him or to just stand there staring in astonishment to see his father standing right in front of him. He hadn't aged a day. He was still as tall and strong looking as Keith remembered, right down to the scar over his left brow.

"You're home, son."

Home? Was this really home? Keith had thought about the cabin many times before but, since he joined Voltron…

The ground trembled again, followed by the sound of explosions. "What's going on outside?" Keith asked. He couldn't tell, the windows were covered by sheets. The yellow light of the afternoon sun could still illuminate the entire cabin, giving it a warm glow.

"Don't worry about that." said Keith's father. "We'll be fine as long as we stay here. Don't you want to catch up?"

Keith wasn't sure exactly what was happening to him. All of a sudden the trials didn't seem to matter anymore. All that mattered to him right now was the fact that his father was standing right in front of him. His father who wanted to see him, to catch up. It's been so long since Keith had felt like this. To feel he was in a place where he belonged. Where he was wanted. Where he was loved.

"Son, so many years have passed. I have so much to tell you."

Before Keith could answer he heard the sound again, even louder than before. "What is that?!" there was no possible way he could just ignore it again.

"Everything's fine." said his father calmly, but Keith ignored him. He tore off the white sheet, letting in the sunlight. Only, to his horror, it wasn't the sun that created the bright glow of the cabin but rather it was fire.

Fire that came from the massive beam from the Galra ship that was blasting everything in its path. The sounds of innocent people screaming, crying and begging for merging rang loud in Keith's ears and spread out across the desert and all around, even behind the cabin.

From afar, Keith spotted the Red Lion, standing on a mountaintop, its head outreached as if it were looking for him. The sounds of the people calling for help was too much for Keith to ignore.

"Dad, I-I'm sorry, I gotta go! There's people that need me out there!"

"Don't you want to know about where you came from?"

Keith's eyes widened when he saw his father carrying the knife in his hand.

"Your mother gave it to me."

"Mom?"

So, the knife belonged to his mother? But, she had left a long time ago. For a while, Keith assumed she was dead, but in time he came to the realization that she did in fact leave.

"She'll be here soon." said Keith's father. The sound of explosions and crying became louder and louder, even the Galra ship was drawing nearer than before. A row of Galra soldiers marched their way forward, armed and ready to kill.

"You've got to tell me dad!" Keith begged, now in more of a hurry to learn of his past. He needed to know right at this very moment, he couldn't leave those people out there to die. "I have to know! Where did the knife come from? What does it mean?!" Keith's voice trembled at that last question. What did it mean? Please may it not mean what he feared it would.

"Your mother is almost here. She'll tell you everything."

Wait. All he had to do was wait and he would see his mother again. To finally get the answers he's been yearning for. Only, Keith couldn't stand still any longer. The crying, the explosions, the Galra ship just on the horizon.

He was a paladin of Voltron, it was his mission to protect those in need. He couldn't abandon them. He refused.

"I can't wait around anymore! I have to go!" Keith turned and grabbed the handle of the door. He stopped when his father spoke again.

"If you go out that door, you'll never find out who you are."

He's right. This was Keith's one and only chance to truly learn who he was. Only, was it worth it to let all of those people die just so he could uncover the truth?

It was then, the words of that zebra lady echoed in his mind; "You search what you want, hoping to succeed. Try looking deeper, and you'll find what you need."

What he needed. Wasn't the truth the thing he needed? No… it wasn't. What he needed was to be a paladin. To protect people. That's why he continued to fight, so that nobody else would feel as alone and helpless as he once did… as Allura once did.

Shiro had pointed him in the right direction by getting him into the Garrison and offering him his friendship and loyalty. When he met Allura he knew he wanted to help her. Like him, she was alone and longing for her home, her family. But, even when it was revealed her family had been lost she still kept on fighting despite of that. And, she wasn't alone.

She had Keith. They had each other. They were each other's home. Keith did have a choice. He could go out there and save those lives, or he could stay and get what he wanted. To retrieve a past that was lost.

Allura had to make the exact same choice not too long ago. Now, Keith would have to do the same. He finally understood what the zebra woman meant.

With a heavy heart, and tears in his eyes, Keith looked at his father one last time and turned the knob on the door.

"Goodbye, Dad.”

(~)

Back at the castle, Allura saw that the Red Lion was active. That sort of thing could only happen if something had happened to Keith. From the looks of it, the Red Lion was attacking the base.

"Why would the lion attack?" Hunk asked, "Unless…"

"Allura?" Lance looked over at the princess with eyes of grave concern. If the Red lion was attacking, that could only mean that Keith was in danger. The princess didn't turn around to face him, but kept her eyes on the screen. Lance could almost feel the pressure in her knuckles as they clenched the controls.

"Everyone stay focused." Allura ordered, the tightness in her hands increased. To Lance, she looked about ready to knock some heads. He'd hate to be the one to get on her bad side, especially if her boyfriend was involved.

(~)

Keith opened his eyes, the pain in his body returned and he was back in the base. The entire area was trembling, debris fell from the ceiling, landing around his on the floor. Something was hitting the base from the inside. Something massive.

"Allura?" He muttered. Did she really ram the castle into the base as she had promised?

His eyes darted to his side and he saw Shiro, the _real_ Shiro, run up to him, helping him to stand, careful with his injured arm unlike how the other Shiro was. There was no doubt that this was the real one, while the other was an illusion just like the cabin and his father.

"Stop what you're doing!" Kolivan ordered.

"What are you talking about? What's going on?" Keith asked as Shiro hoisted his arm around his shoulder. The base shook once more and more of the ceiling fell from above, nearly crushing them.

"Call off your beast!" Kolivan ordered.

"Move out of the way! We're leaving!" Shiro demanded as the building continued to shake.

"You're not leaving with that blade! It does not belong to you, you've failed to awaken it!"

"What does that mean?!" Keith asked demandingly. What did he mean awaken the blade? Was that part of the trial? Why had he not said it before?

The Galra beside Kolivan grew impatient and charged at Shiro, sword in hand. Shiro had no choice but to let Keith go, active his mechanical hand and fought the warrior.

At the same time, Allura kept tabs on when the gateway would be open again for the team to go into the base. The Red Lion was still attacking, more than ever now. Whatever they were doing to Keith and Shiro, Allura vowed they would regret it immensely.

Keith managed to hold himself up just as Shiro blocked the Galra's blade with his glowing hand. This couldn't continue. Keith was tired, both physically and mentally, and yet he was seeing things far more clearly now.

"Wait! Just take the knife!" Keith held it out, offering it to the Marmora members. Both Shiro and the Galra lowered their blade and hand respectively, both staring at him in surprise. "It doesn't matter where I come from. I know who I am. We all need to work together to defeat Zarkon. If that means I give up this knife, then fine. Take it."

Only, they didn't take it. As it turns out, they never needed to, for the moment Keith was willingly ready to part with his most prized possession, the stone attached started to glow. The metal object felt warm and alive like a juniperberry flower in Keith's hand.

Shiro and the rest of the Marmorans stared in disbelief as the single knife gave off a radiant purple glow that filled the entire room. The Red Lion ceased its attacking long enough for everyone to witness the miracle that had just occurred before them.

The small knife has grown into a beautiful, purple sword, just like those of the Blade of Marmora. Its edges shimmered and shinned flawlessly. Keith was at a loss for words. How did he do that? Was it really him or was it some kind of magic word he accidentally used to make the knife do this?

"You have awoken the blade." Kolivan said in surprise. "The only way this is possible, is if Galra blood runs through your veins."

Keith's entire body froze. His fingers gripped the newly transformed sword but he could barely feel its metal surface against his fingers through his suit. He was't even sure he was blinking, or even breathing. He came for answers, and just when he had decided he didn't need them, they manifest in the most unexpected way possible.

So, his dream wasn't just a figment of his own imagination. His suspicions were right. This whole time, Keith was never fully human… he was Galra.

"No." He whispered, so low nobody else could hear him.

(~)

"Five… four… three… two…"

Just as Allura was about to pilot the ship into the star, a voice same through the intercom, along with an image on the screen of a familiar Red mechanical feline flying towards them.

It was Shiro's voice. "Princess, we're coming back. And we're bringing someone you should meet."

"They're alright!" Coran said happily. Everyone else cheered, relieved to know their friends were alive and coming back.

Allura, especially, couldn't begin to describe how content she felt. Keith was alive. He was alive and he was coming back. She almost couldn't stop the tears of relief. The Galra had taken everything from her, she wasn't about to let them take Keith too.

The others saw the Red Lion arrive. Opening its mouth, Shiro and Keith emerged alongside Kolivan. He removed his mask and bowed before Allura, removing his hood. "Princess Allura, it's good to see that the rumors are true. You're still alive after all these years."

"So is Zarkon." Allura said. While she did well to maintain as well mannered diplomat, the venom in her voice was still undeniable. "Can we consider you our ally in the fight against him?'

"Yes. But we have little time to discuss this. I just received word from our spy inside the Galra higharchy. They have become aware of our presence so the time to start our plan has been moved up."

"How soon do we need to begin?" Shiro asked.

"Now."

Allura averted her narrowed eyes from Kolivan, who continued to speak with Shiro, and walked over towards Keith, wrapping her arms around him.

"Oh, thank goodness! I was so worried."

"Ouch! Ah!" Keith wanted to bite his own tongue. He was just as happy to see Allura, but she had unintentionally touched the part of his arm that was still injured. Keith let out a painful groan and instinctively clenched his shoulder.

"Keith, are you alright?" Allura asked, her voice trembling with fear. She turned her gaze back at Kolivan. Any ounce of faux politeness she had before had completely vanished. "What did you do to him?!"

"Allura, it's okay. I'll be fine." Keith insisted. They had already managed to get the Blade of Marmora on their side, the last thing they needed as Allura giving Kolivan a classic Altean smack down.

"Is _this_ why the Red Lion attacked the base? Answer me!" Allura's attention was still on Kolivan, her fists clenching tightly. Hunk immediately hid behind Lance, who in turn hid behind Coran. 

"I assure you, Princess, I did not harm him." Kolivan said, holding his hands up in surrender. He saw Keith's illusion alongside Shiro, he knew how important she was to Keith.

Keith straightened himself, taking Allura by the arm. "Allura, I'll explain everything. I--Ah!" Keith felt the sting in his arm again.

Allura ignored Kolivan, for the moment, and helped Keith by wrapping his arm around her shoulder, allowing him to lean against her.

"Shush, save your strength, darling. Let's get you to the healing pod." She said, speaking softly. As they walked by the group, Allura shot Kolivan another poisonous glare. She promised to deal with him later.

Both Shiro and Kolivan shared a concerned look as the young couple left the hangar.

(~)

The healing pod opened and Keith awoke from his slumber. It was a dreamless sleep and the first thing he saw when he awoke was Allura. Just like in his illusion, she still wore her suit, but her hair was completely down.

She reached out and helped him step back out of the pod and led him to sit beside her on the floor. She carefully rubbed his shoulder, seeing that the injury was completely healed. Only, rather than look relieved, Keith appeared to be troubled.

Allura gently cupped his cheek with her hand and smiled lovingly. "It's okay, it's over. You're safe now."

Keith placed his hand over Allura's, taking in the feel of her touch. After everything he had endured, this was exactly what he needed. Only, he couldn't cherish the moment as much as he would have liked, for the main issue still lingered in his mind.

"Allura, I… there's something I have to tell you. I haven't been completely honest with you lately." Keith held both of her hands in his. The princess kept silent, eager to listen to what he had to say. Her silence was her way of encouraging him to speak whatever was bothering him.

Keith gulped, his mouth already feeling dry but he pressed on. "Ever since we met Ulaz I've been asking myself some questions. Do you remember that knife I showed you?"

"Yes." Allura replied. "It's been a while, but I remember. About the strange symbol."

"Well, we were right, it wasn't from earth… it was the same symbol as the Blade of Marmora."

Allura's eyes widened. The knife belonged to the blade?

"But, then how did it--?"

"That's what I wanted to know. Then, one night, I had this dream. I saw my mother and she looked… different than what I remember. Or at least, what I can remember." Keith hesitated for a moment. "And there was this one time at the Balmara where I was able to make the Galra computer work. Then, during my fight with Zarkon, he said I fought like one of his own soldiers. I tried to ignore all of this, but after that dream and the blade I knew I had find out the truth. That's why I took the trials."

"Trials?"

"The Trials of Marmora. I had to fight a large number of their members if I wanted to know about my past." Keith left out the part about the illusion he saw of Allura and Shiro and skipped right to his father. "I saw an illusion of my father."

Allura gasped. "Your father?"

"He told me if I stayed my mother would tell me everything… but I couldn't." Keith averted his gaze, looking down at the floor. "I kept hearing voices. People in danger. I had to choose to either stay or go and help."

Allura rubbed her thumb over Keith's palm. "You choose to leave." she concluded, her voice partly cracking. She empathized with his decision. It wasn't that long ago she too had to bid farewell to her father. To move on from the past. It was a painful decision but one she needed to make. "I'm sorry, Keith. I'm sorry you didn't get the answers you wanted."

"Actually… I did."

"How?"

Keith took in a deep breath. "When… I awoke the blade."

Allura cocked her head in confusion. "What do you mean?"

"My knife turned into an actual sword. The same ones used by the Blade of Marmora. Which was only be possible because…"

One tick went by. Then two. Then three. Then four.

"I'm… I'm part Galra."

Allura didn't know if to chuckle or gasp. Her voice caught in her throat. "Y-You're what?"

"This is exactly why I didn't tell you before. I didn't think it was possible and I desperately hoped it wasn't true." Keith stopped when he noticed Allura's frozen expression. She was more bewildered with shades of shock and confusion edged on her face.

Allura shook her head, her brain feeling like it was running a marathon and had just now stopped to catch its breath. "I'm sorry, I'm just trying to wrap my head around this. You? Galra? How? You grew up on earth, and you look nothing like Galra."

"All I know is that my mother must have been Galra, or half or something, I don't know. I wanted answers but now I'm even more confused than ever. "

"But, are you sure that that's what it meant? The knife couldn't have been awoken by some other way?"

"Believe me, I asked. Several times. Kolivan said that only someone with Galra blood can activate the blade." Keith covered his face, grunting in confusion. His voice was starting to sound desperate as he held both her hands in his. "But Allura, this doesn't change anything. I'm still me. You know that I would never do anything to hurt you. I love you, you have to believe that."

The moment Allura stared into his beautiful indigo eyes, there was no doubt in her mind. It was clear that the reveal was just as alarming to him as it was to her. Keith had come to hate the Galra as much as she had because of everything she had told him, and what he had seen. She knew him better than anyone else so she knew he was speaking the truth.

"Of course I believe you." Allura said, cupping his face, "It's just… it's a lot to take in."

"I know it is."

Allura took in a deep breath, letting all of this information sink in. "Is this why you tried so hard to convince me that there were good Galra?"

"Well, at first I thought maybe it could be possible after what Ulaz did but, the more I dug into my past, I guess I…" Keith averted his gaze. "I guess I just wanted some reassurance."

"Keith, you don't need any reassurance." Allura released her hand from his and cuffed his cheek. She smiled lovingly and placed a soft kiss upon his lips. "I trust you, with all of my heart."

"So, you're okay with… this? With me being--"

"Well, it'll take some getting used, I'll admit, but like you said, it doesn't change anything. You're still you." Allura stroked his cheek with her thumb, gazing into his eyes, which softened at her touch. Keith breathed a great big sigh of relief.

"Thank goodness. I was so afraid that--"

"Keith, I could never hate you. I love you."

The red paladin chuckled and wrapped his arms around her. His chin resting on her shoulder, taking in the sweet scent of her hair. To think, he was worried over nothing. Allura didn't care that he was Galra or not. Everything was going to be alright. Everything was going to be just…

"Besides, you shouldn't blame yourself for any of this. You are _nothing_ like them.”

Keith's eyes snapped open and he ended the hug, looking Allura in the eyes. "What do you mean?"

"You're not like the rest of the Galra. At all."

Keith blinked a couple times, his brows partly furrowed. "But, the Blade of Marmora are Galra, and you trust them now. Right?"

Allura didn't even open her mouth. Silence surrounded them like a blanket. As if by instinct, Allura averted her gaze. Her silence became her answer and Keith stood back up. "You said you didn't care that I was Galra! You said you trusted me!"

"I _do_ trust you!" Allura said, also standing up, their voices already getting higher.

"Then why won't you trust Kolivan?"

"I allowed him aboard my ship, what more do you want? Besides, you really think I'm going to trust them so easily after what they did to you? You came here limping like a glecour on two legs!"

"I _chose_ to take those trials, alright! If anything, you should be blaming me for it!"

"I'm not blaming you for anything! Why are we even discussing this?"

"Admit it, Allura! You still won't trust the Blade of Marmora all because they're Galra!"

"So what if I don't, what does that have to do with you?"

"Because _I'm_ one of them! Like it or not Allura, I'm Galra too."

"_Half_ Galra." Allura corrected. "That's entirely different."

"_How_ is that different?"

"Because you never killed my people! _**They**_ did!"

Silence filled the room. In the corner, the mice observed the entire scene, cowering into a corner as the two argued with one another. They had never seen them like this before. Their little furry bodies trembled.

Allura looked visibly hurt. "You may share the same blood but you do not share the same mistakes."

"Neither does the Blade of Marmora." Keith insisted.

"We don't know that. Who knows how many lives they have taken long before they've had their "revelation."

"Don't you believe people can change? All I'm saying is you can't keep placing all Galra in a box."

"Why are you suddenly so obsessed with being affiliated with them? Just because I don't place my full trust onto the Blade of Marmora that doesn't mean I'm going to give you the same treatment."

"It sounds more like the only reason you're cutting me a break is because I'm your boyfriend."

"So you want me to tie you with the same race that took everything from me? Is that what you want?"

"No! I just…" Keith was at a loss for words.

"Just what, Keith?" Allura asked, insisting he'd finish his thought, only Keith didn't know how to finish it.

After a moment of silence, Allura concluded Keith was not going to answer. "I'm going to bed." she turned and headed to the doors. The sight was reminiscent of the illusion he had witnessed before, only Shiro was absent. Keith opened his mouth, but the words came out empty. She was already gone.

Keith sat back down, hanging his head, covering his face with his hand. The little mice scurried out from their hiding spot and sat before him. The smallest of them scurried up to his shoulder, patting his cheek with her tiny paws to try and comfort him. Keith appreciated the gesture, but at this point there was nothing that could make him feel any better.

What was he thinking? Of course Allura wouldn't change her mind about the Galra so easily. Him being half didn't change that because she didn't see him as one of them and, in a way… she was right.

Keith wasn't fully Galra. He was still half human. Keith was different. Yet, Allura's still lingering anger towards the Galra didn't help in him feeling any better about this new discovery. Then again, maybe this was also her way of copping. Allura was willing to accept the fact that Keith shared their DNA, on account of she knew him better than anyone and that this was something neither of them were aware of. But, trying to see the species that killed her entire race and the man she loved as one in the same thing…

Of course it would be difficult to do! What was he thinking? Why did he have to keep pushing the idea onto her like that? It's no wonder she got upset!

Keith didn't know how else to vent out his frustrations so he did the only thing he felt he could do right now… he allowed the stinging hot tears to roll down from his eyes. He could feel his chances of a future with Allura slowly slipping away through his fingertips.

At the same time, Allura was feeling just as awful. Once she got to her room and cried into her pillow, she realized just how her words might have hurt Keith. He knew better than anyone how she felt about the Galra. But, maybe the reason why he was so insistent on her seeing differently wasn't because he didn't understand but because… Keith didn't want to hate himself.

Even though Allura made it perfectly clear that, in her eyes, Keith wasn't like the other Galra, maybe it wasn't enough. Maybe her still lingering anger towards the Galra wasn't helping in him to accept his new mixed heritage.

How could she be so selfish? Keith was hurting and all she could care about were her own feelings on the matter? Why didn't she realize this while she was right in front of him? She was torn between her anger and her love, and at that moment she chose to give into her anger. How could she be so foolish?

The princess buried her face deeper into her pillow, angry at herself for her own foolishness. That night, neither of them slept.


	18. Chapter 18

To Keith's surprise, the rest of the team took the whole "half-Galra" reveal rather well. Lance had his jaw to the floor and was asking as many questions as when they all first arrived at the palace.

"Man. And I thought you having a long distance alien girlfriend was shocking."

Speaking of alien girlfriends, Allura tried to find some alone time to speak with Keith and apologize for what she had said, but the entire day she and the rest of the team were needed in order for Kolivan to inform them of the plan they had. But, in order to succeed, they would need Voltron and the Alteans.

Allura narrowed her eyes upon seeing Kolivan, but they softened when Keith appeared. They locked eyes for a few short moments but they had not said a word to each other. Hunk, Pidge and Lance could feel the tension between them. It was so thick they could cut it with a knife.

They suspected the reveal of Keith being half Galra would be a massive shock, especially for Allura, but they already knew that not all Galra were bad. The Blade of Marmora were good guys, and Keith was always on their side. Despite his rebellious spirit and temper, he was a devoted member of the team through and through.

Allura didn't seem mad at Keith, rather hurt. Keith looked equally distraught, but he did his best to mask it. The two tried to pushed their relationship problems aside for the moment and focused on the large hologram image of Zarkon's central command ship.

"I really think we've got something here." Shiro said. "It's dangerous and there are a lot of moving parts but, if we can coordinate everything just right, then…"

"Zarkon's reign will be at an end." Kolivan finished. "And the savagery that has poisoned our universe will finally be cleansed. You've done it, Shiro."

The Black Paladin offered him his hand. "We did it together."

Kolivan hesitated for a moment. Allura caught some subtle hints of surprise and, even gratitude, when Kolivan took Shiro's hand. From the looks of it, this Galra was not used to other species trusting him.

"As long as we all stick to the plan it should work." Allura said, her tone coming out a tad harsher than she had expected.

"I _will_ work." Kolivan said to the princess, his expression guarded. "And perhaps then you will learn that not all Galra are as bad as Zarkon."

"_Except I already do._" She thought to herself as she turned her gaze to look at Keith, crestfallen, not even looking her way. "_I just wish I had told him that_."

"Ulaz was right to trust you all." said Atta, standing beside Kolivan.

Shiro nodded in agreement. "He sacrificed everything to bring us together. Let's honor him by taking down Zarkon."

It was then, Allura remembered what she had vowed to herself. That if Ulaz wasn't the hero he had made everyone believe that he was, then Allura would feel like a fool for even feeling sorry for his death. Now that she knew for certain that he was, in fact, a good and noble warrior, she allowed herself to completely mourn his death.

"_I'm… sorry, Ulaz_." Allura had to close her eyes shut and squeezed her arm with her hand while keeping them folded over her chest in order to prevent the tears from falling. To think, all it took was for her to realize she had hurt Keith's feelings to come to the conclusion that just as she didn't blame Keith for what Zarkon had done to her people… maybe she should be willing to give Kolivan and the other Marmorans the benefit of the doubt.

After all, Allura didn't fall for Keith because of what he was, but who he was. She looked past his exterior and saw the true hero inside. Maybe that's how Keith was able to see Ulaz for the hero he was as well. He saw past the bloodline and instead saw someone who sacrificed his life for others, which was no different than what Keith would have done for everyone else.

For the first time in a long time, Allura's mind--and heart--was as clear as a calm crystal blue ocean underneath a cloudless sky.

She was broken from her thoughts when Lance started telling Hunk and Pidge their plan. In his typical Lance fashion; bouncing around, making exaggerative hand gestures, added with bad sound effects.

The plan was to infect Zarkon's ship with a virus that would cause it to shut down, then use a Teladuve to teleport him galaxies away. Then, while Zarkon was down, Voltron will finish Zarkon's reign once and for all.

"Yeah! Yeah! We've won for all time!"

"Wow. So… this is it." Hunk said, almost unable to believe it. Time became a blur out here in space, and maybe it hadn't been that long but, it felt as if they have been fighting forever. And now, after this, it would be all over.

"I guess the only question is, when do we strike?" Pidge asked.

The team would have to be split into groups. In order to get the Teladuve to work they would need a massive amount of scultrite lenses, which they could only get from the belly of a weblum. Coran would go to planet Olkari and get their help to build it, while Keith and Hunk would go and retrieve the scultrite. Shiro, Pidge and Lance would be tasked at retrieving an engineer from one of Zarkon's prisons. According to Kolivan, this Slav character was a genius and would be of great help to help in constructing the teladuve.

This was, literally, their most important mission ever. If either of them failed, the entire plan would fail along with them.

Keith and Shiro hugged in farewell, wishing each other good luck, while Hunk and Pidge were literally crying as if they were saying goodbye for the last time. Allura's attention was on Keith the entire time. After he finished hugging Shiro, he turned to face her.

The princess managed a soft smile and prepared to approach him, only for Kolivan to step in, completely unaware of the princess behind him and offered his hand to Keith in good luck. He noticed Allura's hesitation and mistook it for uncomfortableness at him speaking to Kolivan.

In reality, Allura had simply felt self cautious to approach Keith with Kolivan still present. Her feet became frozen to the floor and she didn't want to interrupt their conversation. If was going to be more supportive about Keith's new heritage, then she should allow him to freely speak to one of them.

Their time had run out and Keith and Hunk walked into the yellow lion. Keith briefly looked back, seeing Allura still looking onwards. He wanted so badly to run up to her, scoop her in his arms and kiss her right then and there. Keith, unpleasantly, suppressed the urge and entered the lion.

Allura sighed in disappointment. Maybe now wasn't the best time to talk about it. She vowed, when he returned, she would make it up to him. Little did she know, Keith was also hoping to set things right with Allura as well. They just needed a moment to do so.

Afterwards, the Alteans bid farewell to Shiro, Pidge and Lance. The Blue Paladin scratched the back of his neck, surprisingly self cautious at the moment. "So, listen Allura, I never really got to apologize for, you know, hitting on you while you were still with Keith, and there's no telling what's gonna happen so--"

Lance was cut short when Allura placed a friendly kiss on his cheek, making him blush. "All is forgiven, Lance."

The three paladins got into the green lion, now all that was left was for Allura to bid farewell to Coran.

"Don't worry, we'll see each other soon."

"Take care, Coran." Allura wrapped her arms around her caretaker before he got into the pod and was off to the planet Olkari. Allura would be left to pilot the castle towards the Balmara to get a very special crystal for their mission.

(~)

"Why does Allura get to go to the Balmara while we have to fly into the belly of a giant space worm to get scultrite?" Hunk complained.

"You heard, Coran. Building a huge teladuve isn't easy. Everybody has a job to do and this is ours." Keith said, leaning casually against the side of the lion's cockpit.

"But I always get the worst jobs! Go to a Galra occupied planet to get my lion. To to a Galra occupied Balmara to get a crystal. Go into the belly of a beast with the only Galra alien team member."

"I'm not an alien." Keith said. This whole situation was hard enough as it was, he didn't need Hunk adding more salt to the wound.

"Well, you're kind of an alien." Hunk said. "You're way more alien than me, you're at least some alien, I'm none alien."

Keith sighed and walked up closer to the control panel. "Let's just concentrate on the job here, okay?"

Hunk agreed and got back to the controls. But, his brain was flooding with questions that he just needed to ask.

"So, was your mom alien? Your grandpa? How Galra are you, exactly?"

"I don't know." Keith replied. He really didn't. He wasn't sure if his mother was full Galra, or even half. His dream was very fuzzy, and even now he wasn't sure if he remembered all the details.

"Did the Blade of Marmora, like, teach you the secret handshake or something?"

"No. No one said anything." Keith was already starting to get annoyed.

"The Blade of Marmora, they're really tight lip, aren't they? I get that your society is a secret but, is everything a secret."

"Alright, look! It's bad enough that Allura can't even look at me right now, can you just lay off?"

Hunk reeled back a bit in his chair. "Come on, man. I'm sure it's not like that. You just got to give Allura some time to get over the shock. I mean, she did just discover that her boyfriend shares the same DNA as the race that destroyed her planet and all of her people and…" Hunk blinked a couple times, realizing what he just said. "Yeah, I'm not helping, am I?"

Keith groaned in annoyance. "Let's just watch the video Coran uploaded and stay on task. We need to find out how to collect this stuff."

Hunk played the video that Coran had given them which, according to him, would give them all of the important details they would need to gather the scultrite from the weblum. Hunk couldn't help but snicker at seeing a younger version of Coran narrate the video. He looked more fit than he did now, with a sleeveless shirt exposing his then muscled arms, and a spiky hair that would have been more appealing on an actual teenager than a middle aged man with a mustache.

Keith merely ignored Hunk's laughter and payed attention to the video, which was harder than he had expected. The video was glitchy and several scenes kept skipping over each other and the image became distorted, no doubt for the fact that it was ten thousand years old. From what they gathered, the weblum was a massive alien worm that ate dead planets and that from what it left behind helped create new solar systems. Both paladin were really, really hoping they had missed a few details seeing as the video did skip a few scenes. There was no way they heard that part right.

To make maters more frustrating, at the part where Coran was telling them the places they needed to avoid when inside the weblum, the video kept scratching and skipping so a majority of the details were lost to them.

Their attention was lured away from the video once they entered what appeared to be some kind of graveyard of dead planets. Their rocky, lifeless remains floated in the endless void of space in an eternal slow dance. There were no suns or moons around to give them any warmth and even the very sight of them made Keith's blood run cold.

"That's strange." Hunk said, "The charts I'm looking at show these planets should still be thriving. What do you think happened to them? Asteroid strike?"

"Something tells me they died an unnatural death." Keith said. His voice was so low and… so sad. Down-hearted, even. His eyes looked off into the distance, catching glimpses of the remains that floated by them, so slow they could almost see the insides breaking apart at the seems.

While Hunk would agree this was a sad sight, for Keith it was almost as if he was staring at the lifeless body of a dead loved one. It was then where Hunk felt his own heart grow heavy. Keith already had enough to deal with. His girlfriend discovered he has the same genetics as the species that wiped out her entire civilization, and here he was, staring directly at what Altea most likely had looked like after Zarkon had destroyed it.

The time for mourning was over, because the two paladins spotted the weblum moving right above them. The creature was massive, the size of at least ten humpback whales if they had all been tapped together.

"We got to get out of here! We haven't watch the entire video yet, we don't know what to do!" Hunk cried out in panic.

"We're not leaving. You fly, keep our distance, I'll skim through the video." Keith pressed the keys on the screen to fast forward, only to go too forward where Coran was giving instructions on how to navigate through the weblum's first stomach.

"Rewind!" Hunk yelled.

"I know!" Keith rewinded the video and landed where Coran mentioned the most important thing when confronting a weblum. To stay away from it's face… which was the first rule they had inadvertently broken.

Hunk had flown his lion right in front of the weblum's massive face. The creature opened its mouth and shot a powerful bream at the paladins. Hunk flew his lion out in time, the beam instead hitting the already dead planets in its wake. Another beam prepared to fire another beam, which Hunk once again dodged. Thankfully, the video landed on a very helpful scene where Coran explained that their way to enter the weblum was behind its blind spot bellow its gill.

Hunk did just that and landed the yellow lion onto the side of the creature, right on its blind spot. It wasn't the most graceful of landings, but they got the job done. They were on the creature now they just had to navigate their way inside. Right on cue, almost comedically so, the video Coran explained to them what to do. First, avoid whatever wanted to kill them, then head to the third stomach and find the scultrite gland.

The two headed out, entering the beast through the gill that kept opening and closing. The boys flew in, what they concluded, was the first stomach. It wasn't the loveliest sight, but then again, the insides of a massive floating space worm never was. Or at least, they assumed it never was. The inside of any living organism wasn't always pretty back on earth, no doubt the same logic applied to alien creatures.

Hunk, naturally, wasn't too keen about being inside a monster's stomach. The insides gave off a sickly-yellowish glow that would make anyone sick, and steaming clouds of acid rose from the liquids around them and small little craters with glowing liquid substance, giving off a very unpleasant sound, almost like animal droppings mixed with pipe water. If it wasn't for their helmets applying them with clean oxygen, the stomach and its bubbly acid river no doubt would burn either their eyes and noses.

Hunk accidentally stepped into something slimy. "Ew, what am I standing on? A mucus pocket? I do not like mucus! And is that steamy stomach acid? Oh, I'm really hoping I don't see any blood!"

"Hunk, knock it off. You're freaking yourself out."

"No, standing inches away from a gas bubble's freaking me out!" Hunk stomped his foot onto one of the craters of glowing, gross liquid, which began to steam once it made contact with the ground around him. The yellow paladin recoiled and whimpered in terror.

Keith took in a deep breath. Normally, he would be annoyed by Hunk's cowardly-lion personality, especially when they had an important job to do, but Shiro wasn't here to keep the team calm under pressure, and neither Lance nor Pidge to make either a witty or sarcastic comment. There was only Keith and Hunk, and if they were going to make this mission of success, Keith needed to keep his head on straight.

Shiro's words flooded back into his mind. Keith wasn't anticipating becoming the leader of the team any time soon, or ever, but there would be times where he couldn't depend on Shiro's natural leadership skills to get things done. Right now, even if for a short while, Keith needed to be the bigger man and get Hunk to focus.

"Look, we're inside a disgusting worm, there's no way to sugarcoat it. We're going to need that big brain of yours if we wanna make it through. Will you be alright?"

Hunk whimpered more, his eyes darting everywhere around the stomach. Shiro probably would have been able to calm Hunk down a lot better than he would, but Keith was a man who told it like it was. He asked once again, trying to be more sympathetic but also firm.

"I said; Will you be alright?"

He wasn't sure how, but his words did manage to calm Hunk down. In fact, his approach seemed to work wonders. Hunk took in a deep breath and calmed himself. Keith could still see bits of worry in his eyes, but the fact that Hunk was willing to push past it and finish the mission was enough reassurance that they could make it through.

"Okay, okay. I'll be okay."

"Good." Keith placed a hand on Hunk's back. "I gotta be able to count on you. Besides, nobody knows an explosive digestive track like you do."

Hunk cocked his head as Keith led the way across the stomach. "Wait… did you just make a joke?" Keith ignored his question and the two hovered over a small river of yellow stomach acid towards the other side using their jetpacks.

"Seriously, that was a joke wasn't it?" Hunk chuckled. "You're saying I throw up a lot, I get it. It's funny. Ha, ha, I do! Wow. Galra Keith is way funnier than regular Keith."

Keith heard his words but ignored them. Hearing 'Galra Keith' didn't suit well with him. He didn't want to think about his own problems right now, what he needed was to get the scultrite and get out of here as soon as possible. Hunk wasn't the only one who found the insides of the weblum unpleasant to be around.

A group of small jellyfish-like creatures began floating around them. At first, Hunk found them adorable with the way they landed on his helmet and shoulders, tickling him. Only, they weren't tickling, they were covering him in hot acid. Hunk quickly swatted them away and a large swarm of the jellyfish-like creatures surrounded them. Hunk concluded they were the creature's digestive system and mistook the two boys as food.

The two tried to fight the creatures back with their bayard weapons. One of the creature splashed a green substance into Hunk's face, blinding him. He tumbled backwards onto a wall, which sucked him inside. Thankfully, he didn't loose contact with Keith. Hunk was swimming in a circulatory system, complaining about being surrounded by blood.

Keith was outnumbered and, despite how gross it was, he dove into the yellow river bellow and told Hunk to meet him in the third stomach. Keith managed to find his way out of the acid, only to land in a darkened area of the beast, falling downwards. Using his jetpack, Keith managed to get himself to land on what he believed was part of the creature's insides. Only, the surface felt metallic.

His indigo eyes widened when he realized he was sitting on top of a small ship, almost completely merged with the sides of the creature. Inside was a passenger, his helmet covering his entire face. Looks like someone else had attempted to collect scultrite but got trapped instead.

There was no possible way he could be alive. Keith caught a small hint of movement then the passenger moved his head entirely upright, staring at Keith in alarm. He stood up and activated his bayard sword and began cutting the vine-like tendrils that kept the poor soul trapped.

"Don't move, I'm here to help."

Keith broke the window with his sword and offered the stranger his hand. Keith concluded the stranger was exhausted, given how light he felt when he helped pull him back out. He was all ready to start asking him questions. Who he was, how he got stuck and how long he had been inside the weblum.

Of course, those are the questions he would have asked if he hasn't seen the symbol on the side of the stranger's armor.

Keith twisted his arm then reached for his pocket, pulling out the stranger's ray gun before releasing him. In his weakened state, he tumbled forward for a moment until regaining his balance, only to see the paladin pointing his own weapon at his face.

"You're Galra."

Keith kept a firm grip on the gun. He may have discovered that not all Galra were on the side of Zarkon, but that didn't mean he was going to blindly trust every single one he came into contact with. There was still a large number of them who were on his side.

For a moment, his mind went back to Allura. Their conversation from last night, where he got upset of her not trusting all Galra, and yet here Keith was, already assuming the next Galra he saw was an enemy rather than a friend. This could have been a rebel Galra, maybe an undercover member of the Blade of Marmora. And if he wasn't?

The jellyfish creatures appeared again, this time merging together into a massive orb, one that would definitely engulf them in hot, steaming acid that could penetrate through their suits and kill them right then and there. Keith held the gun at the Galra stranger, who started tampering with the controls on his wrist.

"What are you doing?" Keith asked. The stranger didn't answer, for the beeping beneath his feet did the job for him. "You're turning this ship into a bomb!"

The swarm of jellyfish came at them at full speed and the two flew out of the way, just when the ship exploded, and the jellyfish with it. The two were thrown into another part of the best. Keith sat back up, but the Galra stranger charged at him. Keith rolled over, kicking him off with his legs, only for the stranger to land opposite him, his gun at hand, having grabbed it when he ambushed Keith.

He shot three times and Keith activated his shield to block the blasts. Only, they never made contact. He turned around to see that the three blasts weren't meant for him, but for the three jellyfish creatures he didn't know were behind them.

"I… guess you can keep your weapon." he said. Maybe this Galra wasn't on Zarkon's side after all. Keith and his new companion stoop up from their crunching positions.

"Who are you?" Keith asked. "How long were you in there?" The masked Galra didn't answer. All he did was wave his hand, telling Keith to follow him. Keith hesitated for a moment.

"So, you're not going to talk?"

The stranger turned around to face him. He stared at him for a few seconds before hovering ahead, fast enough as to reach the other side but slow enough to let Keith keep up.

"Guess that answers that question."

Keith flew up towards his new companion. He flew a few inches further, blocking his path. Keith extended his hand to stop him. "Look, I don't know who you are or what you're here for, but I need to find my friend. I need to know if I can trust you."

The masked stranger pulled out his gun again and pointed back to the remains of the now dead jellyfish creatures. Keith quickly caught on to what he was saying. He did just save Keith's life and he didn't appear to have any interest in killing him. If he had, he would have done it by now.

"Alright, point taken."

(~)

The trip to the Balmara proved to be longer than Allura had hoped. She couldn't stop thinking about Keith and their conversation. To try and pass the time, Allura kept pacing back and forth, trying to come up with something to say.

"Alright, then." Allura took in a deep breath. "Keith, I'm sorry about what I said to you before. I should have used my words more eloquently and--No, no, that's way too formal." she cleared her throat. "When I said that you weren't like the Galra I didn't mean it in a negative way. I know I've said a lot of terrible things about them in the past, which you did agree with before, but--Ah!!"

The princess groaned an sat back down in the center of the control room, burying her face into her hands. "Why is this so hard? I never had trouble talking to him before." the mice gathered at her feet. The thinnest one squeaked something to her.

"Of course I'm not mad at him, how can I be? He didn't know about this anymore than I did. It's not his fault." The smallest, blue colored mouse squeaked a sentence. Allura looked even more dejected than ever. "Yes, I know. The reveal was hard on him too, and I wasn't helping feel any better." she rested her face on the palms of her hands, her elbows on her knees. "He shouldn't hate himself for what he is. I didn't want to be bothered by him being Galra, but maybe it did bother me a little bit."

The mouse squeaked again.

"What about now?" Allura repeated her question. "Well. Right now, I'm beginning to see that he was right." The fat mouse squeaked something. "Don't get me wrong, I'm still determined to take down Zarkon and any Galra that is loyal to him… but, that doesn't mean I can't trust that there are those who want to help us." Allura's smile then morphed into a frown. "I wish I had known this the night before." She stared at the mice in surprise when they started squeaking and jumping excitedly. "What is it?"

They scurried away, getting Allura to follow them. They arrived at Allura's room, sorting through a box of her old cloths from when she was younger. The mice pulled out some sowing materials (Allura had learned how to sow when she was little so she could fix her own gowns whenever they were torn). They choose colors of purple, light blue and some neon glowing fabric.

Allura smiled at their suggestion. The princess gathered the materials and got to work.

(~)

Keith and the Galra stranger flew off in silence, with Keith following the stranger's lead. He seemed to know his way around better than Keith did. He just hoped he wouldn't regret his decision in trusting him. So far, it seemed he did. The stranger led Keith towards the third stomach, where he was reunited with Hunk. The Yellow Paladin was so relieved to see him.

"Keith, you made it! We both made it!" Hunk turned his attention to the mysterious stranger alongside Keith, who hovered a few feet away, studying the scultrite around the stomach.

"Who is this?"

"Someone I found. He doesn't talk much. Also he's… Galra."

"What, you guys all know each other?" Keith was tempted to make a sarcastic "ha, ha", but suppressed it. "Are you sure we should be rescuing a Galra solider right now?" Hunk whispered to Keith, hoping the stranger didn't hear.

"We're paladins of Voltron. We can't just leave people to die even if they are Galra."

Hunk dropped the argument right then and there. He had to admit, Keith's words were pretty admirable, he was reminded of that moment back at the Balmara, where Keith did his best to give words of encouragement to Shay and her people when all seemed lost. It was because of this he knew things would work out between Keith and Allura one way or another. They were both so different, yet so alike it was hard not to picture them as being with anyone else but each other.

"Now, come on. Let's do what we came for and get out."

"Okay, well that might be a problem too." said Hunk. "The scultrite glands somehow secretes mucus, or saliva or something gross which becomes crystalized. The only problem is I think we need to trigger the weblum's defense mechanism."

Just as Keith was about to ask exactly how they would be able to do that, the jellyfish creatures appeared again, this time in greater numbers than before. Keith and Hunk fought them off with their bayards but, just like before, they were out numbered. Two opposite sides of the weblum's stomach opened up, creating some kind of spinning vortex in between. Keith, Hunk and the Galra stranger held on to whatever they could to keep themselves from getting sucked in. According to Hunk, the creature was releasing gas.

Once it was over, Hunk then got an idea. He would get himself farted out of the beast and get it to fire its lasers, which would activate the defense mechanism and crystalize the scultrite. Hunk went on with his plan--his very,very gross plan--and got into his lion, provoking the beast while Keith and the stranger kept the creatures at bay.

Keith was thankful he had chosen to trust him after all. The two fought back to back, literally, and shot at all of the incoming creatures. They kept on growing and growing, with Keith constantly yelling at Hunk through the communicators inside their helmets to get it over with.

Hunk managed to successfully get the weblum to unleash its beam. Keith and the Galra stranger ducked in cover when the beam activated, engulfing the entire inside in a blinding blue light. Once it was over, the scultrite shimmered like precious diamonds. Diamonds that were found inside the third stomach of a gigantic beast but, hey, whatever manages to get the teladuve to work.

"Please tell me you got the scultrie." Hunk said, breathing a sigh of relief once he was out of the beast's view.

"Grabbing it now." Keith replied back. He opened up the rounded bags Coran had given him and even handed a few to his Galra companion. Keith smiled in gratitude and asked him to help.

The Galra stranger looked at Keith, then at the empty bag before getting to work. It didn't take long to collect the crystalized material and in no time Keith had a large row of bags all stacked with this stuff. The whole time he was working he couldn't stop thinking about what Allura would say once he got back.

Was she still upset about their conversation? Was she thinking about him right now too? What would she say to the Galra Keith had befriended?

He did find the answer to that last one. She would definitely not approve of him. Keith knew that because his so called "ally" was pointing his gun directly at him. A large bag of scultrite hoisted over his shoulder.

Keith immediately regretted handing him that bag, just as he regretted trusting him. He thought the stranger had merely gotten unlucky and was eating by the weblum, not that he was searching for scultrite as well. And now, here he was, stealing the scultrite he and Hunk were tasked with retrieving while aiming a gun at the person who had spared his life.

"So you're just like the rest of em."

The stranger didn't say anything, as usual. He simply gripped the bag and left Keith alone, his gun still in his hand, gripped so tightly Keith knew that if he made any sudden movements the Galra would not hesitate to shoot.

Once the stranger was gone, Keith fully realized the words that had come out of his mouth. This was probably the type of rouse Allura had suspected of Ulaz before. Keith closed his eyes and clenched his fists in anger. Who knows if Keith would ever see this Galra again, and if he did, there was no telling on wether or not he would be wiling to help him again. But, he did spare Keith's life so… maybe there was some hope after all?

Honestly, Keith wasn't so sure. All he knew was that, even though he was right in that not all Galra were bad, Allura was also right in that not all of them could be trusted. Keith may share the same blood as that stranger, or at least half of it, but he knew for certain that he would never take advantage of someone's kindness the way he did.

"_You're nothing like them_." Allura's words echoed in his mind. Her words somehow gained an entirely new meaning.

Keith gathered the scultrite and got into the lion. "Where's your buddy?" Hunk asked.

"He's long gone by now. He got a bag of scultrite."

"What? Should we go after him?"

"No. Whatever the Galra are planning won't matter after we defeat Zarkon."

"Copy that." Hunk nodded, smiling and got back to piloting the yellow lion.

Despite his run in with the Galra, Keith was felling pretty good right now. Not only did they get the scultrite, but he managed to get both himself and Hunk through the mission by working together. The normally timid paladin had grown a spine and bravely faced the weblum so Keith could get the scultrite. Keith felt a sense of both pride and gratitude.

"You really came through back there, Hunk. Without you the mission would have been a failure." Keith said. For a moment he sounded… almost, a lot like Shiro would have.

Hunk smiled. "Aww, thanks Galra Keith. You're alright. I think turning Galra has made you a better human."

And just like that, the brotherly moment was ruined. Keith clenched his fists tightly and yelled, "_I didn't just turn Galra!_"

"Hey, relax, I meant it as a compliment." Keith groaned in frustration. Hunk's smile morphed into a concerned frown. "Seriously, I didn't mean it in a bad way."

"I know." Keith replied. He knew Hunk was telling the truth. "I'm just not too thrilled about it."

"Cause of Allura?"

"Well, yeah. It's like you said, the Galra destroyed everything she's ever known and now, her own boyfriend turns out to share the same DNA as her most hated enemy."

"Yeah but, was she really that mad at you?"

"Well… no, not really. She said she still trusts me no matter what."

"Then what's the problem?"

"I got upset because she still doesn't trust the Blade of Marmora. And she said I wasn't like other Galra."

"Well, yeah okay, I can kind of understand how the first part can be a bit of an issue. But the second part, I think she's right." Hunk said, Keith looked at him in surprise. "You know the old saying; No two snowflakes are alike? Well, same applies to people. Or aliens. In her eyes, you're more than just 'one of a million'. You're one of a kind."

First Shiro, then Lance, and now Hunk. All three of the guys had given Keith relationship advice several times in the past, and every time it still baffled him how much they cared about his and Allura's happiness for no other reason other than… they just cared.

"And if you're still worried about her not being all 'buddy-buddy' the Blade of Marmora yet, I think the fact that she's accepted you as Galra is a pretty good start. She'll come around in her own time, you just got to be patient."

Keith felt a lot better now. He normally shared his problems with either Shiro or Allura, but sharing them with the rest of the team helped lift the weight off of his shoulders. "Thanks, Hunk. I appreciate it."

"Besides, it's actually pretty romantic when you think about it. A Galra and an Altean in love. You're like the Romeo and Juliet of space." Hunk smile wavered. "Except, you know for the fact that they both died at the end but… you know what, bad example."

Keith decided not to push the topic any further. Hunk had a strange gift of being both really intelligent and really… dense at times.

(~)

Allura's little project was now fully complete. It certainly helped pass the time on her way to the Balmara to get the crystal they needed, but even after it was finished she still had a while to go. The mice kept her entertained with a guessing games. Hunk had explained earlier that humans back on earth would play these road trip games to help pass the time. He certainly was right on that. Alongside her project, time did seem to fly on by.

Allura was startled a bit when Coran called in to check up on her from Olkarion. "How are you, Princess? Are you almost at the Balmara?"

"I'm scheduled to arrive in just a few dobashes. I hope I'm able to find a crystal big enough for the teladuve."

"Have you heard from the other paladins?"

"I had contact with Lance, Shiro and Pidge a little bit ago. They've located Slav."

"What about Hunk a-and Keith?" Coran stuttered a bit at the last time and his brows furrowed with concern.

"No word from them yet." Allura replied, her eyes fell in concern.

"I have no doubt my scientifically accurate instructional video was of great help." Coran proudly twirled his mustache.

"I'm sure it was." Allura suppressed the urge to roll her eyes. "If they collected enough scultrite will your teladuve structure be complete?"

"It's nearly done. The Olkari and I have been working on it day and night. I will be ready in time."

Allura looked downcast, her arms folded. "I hope so."

"What's going on, Princess? You sound worried."

While she had been thinking about Keith, another part of her brain was constantly thinking about their mission. She couldn't think of one without the other. Keith and Hunk were out there, risking their lives to collect scultrite from the inside of a great beast for their great plan to defeat Zarkon, which may or may not work. So far, things were going according to plan, but there was still much to do. Anything could happen.

Times like this she really wish she had her father to give her the confidence she desired.

"I've just had a lot of my mind."

"If your worried about Keith, I'm sure he and Hunk are alright. I have no doubt you two can patch things up when he returns."

Allura managed to smile. "Thank you, Coran. But it's not only Keith I'm worried about. I've been thinking of my father as well. He gave his life to keep Voltron out of Zarkon's hands, now we have a chance to defeat him. I… I don't want to fail."

"You know, Princess, your father would be proud of you. It wasn't that long ago we found out Altea had been destroyed."

Hearing that sentence again made Allura's feet go numb. She fell into a pull of herself onto the floor, her head hung low, her silver locks masking her eyes from Coran's view. She looked exactly as she felt; Heartbroken.

"I never felt so alone."

"Nor have I. We could have easily given up, but we didn't. You didn't, and now look at us. We've reformed Voltron, we freed the Olkari and the Balmarans, and now they're working alongside us.

Allura felt a little foolish. She had been wishing for her father's words of wisdom, but in her grief and worry she had nearly completely missed the fact that Coran was still there for her. He truly was like a second father to her. Whenever she felt hurt or missed Altea, he was always there to remind her that not all was lost.

And not just Coran. Keith, Shiro, the other paladins. They have all come so far. They were all in this together, and they were growing in numbers. Allura wasn't alone, not anymore. In fact, she never was, even when in that Astral Plane, hoping, wishing for some way of escaping she found a friend in Keith. If this adventure has taught her anything, it was was nothing was impossible.

The princess got back up on her feet, her spirits lifted once more. "You're Coran. We have allies, and that is what's going to defeat Zarkon. Thank you."

Coran gave her a salute and wished her the best of luck on her journey to the Balmara. When she arrived, Allura was greeted by an army of friendly faces. Her heart bursted at seeing the once hungry and broken spirited Balmarans now so full of hope, strength and joy. Soon, this would be how the entire universe would look like once Zarkon was defeated.

Shay, bless her pure soul, asked if Hunk had accompanied her. Allura regretted to inform her he couldn't be here today. The visible hints of disappointment were evident in her golden eyes. Poor thing, she and Hunk had grown so close during their short time. She made a promise to have them meet up again, somehow, someway, but right now she needed to get a crystal.

The Balmarans were more than eager to help. They led Allura to an underground cavern which had been blocked when the Galra were in power. Now that they were free, the cavern was open for all.

In the center was a massive crystal. It towered over Allura like a skyscraper. This was the one. The crystal they would need for the teladuve. The Balmarans and the princess performed the ceremony and the Balmara happily granted her access to it. Allura bowed her head in gratitude.

Once it was time to leave, Shay's grandmother gave Allura a bowl of slimy looking stew stacked with long, slimy looking slugs. Allura kept her smile on her face the entire time, but her eyes did widen a bit in disgust. She politely took the stew and thanks them all for their help.

The bowl of stew fell from Allura's hands and was smashed against the ground. The Balmara had begun to tremble, much to the alarm of the Balmarans. This wasn't normal. Their attention landed on the large crystal robeast the Balmara had trapped during Voltron's last visit. It was breaking free.

The monster had infected the Balmara's crystals during its imprisonment, which now glowed purple like Sendak's own crystal. It had lost its head, which cracked alongside the shattered crystal remains, but had one massive crystal growing from its chest. It cold no longer shoot lasers from its arms, but it could from the crystal on its chest. Two more massive ones hovered alongside it whenever it went.

Allura told Shay and her family to get everyone to safety and hurried to the castle to try and fight the beast herself with the castle's defenses. She gave it everything she had, but the creature was using the crystals as shields to deflect her power. She managed to lure it away from the Balmarans so it wouldn't harm them or their home, it took the bait but Allura couldn't fight it alone. She needed the other paladins.

(~)

Hunk arched an eyebrow, studying Keith intensely. The Red Paladin narrowed his eyes. "Are you trying to see if my skin is purple?"

"Noooo."

"_Keith! Hunk! Are you there? Can you hear me?_"

"We're here, Allura. What's going on?" Keith replied as quickly as possible. The fact that he used her actual name rather than 'princess' somehow managed to give Allura some sense of reassurance.

"_You must return to the castle, I need you!_"

Keith knew that look. That was Allura's game face. Something was definitely wrong.

"We're on our way."

Allura contacted the others and before long they had arrived at the Balmara, using Allura's wormholes to arrive. The creature's lasers was far stronger than last time, they were going to need all lions if they were going to stop it, but they only had the Blue and Yellow lions at their disposal.

Lance flew the Blue lion back into the castle for Pidge and Shiro to retrieve theirs, while Hunk distracted the beast with his own--much to his dismay. Never the less, he did what was asked of him and shot at the beast with everything he had, but it continued to deflect his blasts with its shields. One of the strikes hit the castle, shutting down the particle barrier in the process.

Hunk charged at the creature, crashing into its shield, prompting it to chase after them. Shiro and Pidge got into their lions while Slav stayed to help Allura to rebuild the particle barrier… in this reality, Shiro specified. Allura looked at the two curiously. This was the supposedly brilliant engineer the Blade of Marmora spoke of? Well, they were desperate, so why not?

Following Keith's instructions, Hunk flipped and barrel rolled out of the incoming lasers.

"Nose dive!" Keith ordered.

"Quit back-lion driving!" Hunk exclaimed, but still followed his orders.

He was no Shiro, but something about Keith's no nonsense attitude, and thrive to fight somehow coaxed Hunk to trust his instincts. The guy was a fighter at heart, and he did train alongside Shiro so he had reason enough to believe him.

Lance arrived just in time to help them out, but the beam had managed to strike the yellow lion, shutting down it powers as it made a fall towards the Balmara. Its body slowly becoming engulfed by the heat of the fall into the atmosphere.

Allura witnessed it through the screen, her eyes widening in horror. "_NO!_"

Shiro reached down and caught Hunk before he could crush into the Balmara's surface while Pidge and Lance kept the creature at bay, trying to take down the crystal, but the beast only used them to knock the two out, throwing them over its headless shoulders and flying off in the opposite direction. While the paladins struggled to regain momentum, Shiro left Hunk's now un-working lion hovering underneath the castle. The Black Paladin hurried to keep the beast from going after the castle.

They couldn't hold it off forever, they needed the other lions. Hunk's wasn't working right now, so until it got back in power, Keith would need to jetpack out and into the castle to get his lion. Hunk laughed at his idea, only to quickly realize that Keith wasn't joking the moment he was out.

Keith was nearly blow away by the laser but managed to recollect himself and get inside the castle. He rushed into the hangar and got into his lion as quick as he possibly could, blasting at the creature's crystal which was about to strike Hunk, who's lion had only just started working again.

The beast couldn't block them all at once since the shields could only block two at a time. Pidge got an idea. The others managed to give her a clear shot at the beast's chest, where she used the same tactic as she did on the floating cubes back on Olkarion. The roots grew right out of its chest, rendering it powerless and Voltron brought down the final blow with its sword, striking the chest where it went off in flames.

The fight was over, the Balmara was safe yet again, the paladins were reunited, and now they had everything they needed. The scultrite, the crystal, Slav. All they needed now was the teladuve.

They were so close.

(~)

The urge to slap the multi-armed, maggot-like alien was becoming too much for Allura to keep under control. Slav was, while a genius in the ways of science and engineering, was seriously infuriating to work with. With his know-it-all attitude and constant companying about every detail of the castle, which he regarded as "flawed", it was no wonder Shiro--of all people--couldn't stand the guy.

Once the other paladins arrived, Keith was the first to address her. "Allura, have you heard from Coran?"

He sounded so casual, as if everything was perfectly normal between them. She wondered if he had somehow managed to overlook what happened during his time at the weblum or the fight a few short moments ago. Or maybe it was a simple sign that he wasn't angry with her.

Allura had her back turned to him for a few short ticks. Keith was almost ready to turn his gaze away, only for the princess to turn around and smile at him. Or at least, he hoped she was smiling at him.

"Yes. I just checked in with him and the teladuve is nearly complete." Allura turned towards the yellow paladin. "Hunk, thank you for getting the scultrite."

"No problem." Hunk's eyes darted back and forth between the red paladin and the princess. "You know, Keith was there too." he pointed his thumb to him. "Isn't there something you want to--"

Hunk never got to finish that sentence. He was a bit too distracted by the fact that Allura had, spontaneously, wrapped her arms around Keith, colliding her lips with his. Keith was taken aback--for about two ticks--and was kissing her right back, his arms wrapped securely around her waist.

Hunk blinked a couple times but couldn't stop the giant smile from forming. "Or, yeah, that works too." the rest of the paladins smiled as well, even Lance was beaming.

Slav blinked, cocking his head to the rise and rose up one hand. "Can I be next?"

Shiro, Pidge and Lance all shot him a death glare. "No!"

Once the kiss ended, Keith stared at Allura in bewilderment. "Wait. So, you're not mad?"

"Mad? Keith, I was never mad. I'm sorry about what I said before. I let my anger towards Zarkon blind me for too long I couldn't see that you were right about Ulaz and the Blade of Marmora. I'm so sorry I didn't trust them." Allura looked to the floor, tears already rolling down her face.

Keith felt a lump in this throat upon seeing her so distraught. Here she was, pouring her heart out, apologizing to him, when he knew he had also caused her some serious stress. He wiped her tears with his thumb.

"Allura, it's okay. I know how much the Galra have hurt you. They took everything from you, from so many people. You had every right to be angry. I shouldn't have made you feel guilty over that."

"And I shouldn't have made you feel guilty about your heritage." Allura cupped his face with her hands, tears already forming in her eyes. "But my anger towards Zarkon had nothing to do with you. I meant what I said, I could _never_ hate you."

"See, I told ya!" Hunk said, only to get elbowed in the stomach by Lance. "Ow!"

"Hunk, shush!"

Allura continued. "You shouldn't hate yourself for being Galra. It's not what's in your blood, it's who you are that counts. And who you are is the man I love. I'm so sorry I didn't tell you that sooner."

Keith held her hands tightly. "And I'm sorry for not being patient. I was just so scared that if you knew I was Galra that…" Keith turned his eyes to the floor in shame. "That it would mean we couldn't be together. That's why I got so upset."

Allura gave a light chuckle. "Keith, you and I met when were millions of worlds apart. You promised to find me, and you did. Not to mention, we've faced Galra, robeasts, and a time loop after we had been separated for the second time on the same day. I doubt there is any force in the universe that could ever tear us apart. You being Galra doesn't change that. If anything… I feel a lot closer to you now than I have before."

Keith let out the breath he didn't even know he was holding. He had been so anxious throughout this entire trip, and now he finally felt he could rest easily.

"You were right about something else. I'm not like other Galra." he smiled, wiping a fallen tear from her cheek with his thumb. "Having the same blood doesn't defy who I am, and who I am is a paladin of Voltron. I want to fight alongside you in defeating Zarkon once and for all. That is the path I choose… I choose you."

As usual, Keith managed to make Allura blush. She tightened her grip on Keith's hands. She could now see that she had been wrong to place all Galra in the same box, and Keith realized he didn't need any tangible reassurance to know where he belonged, because he now knew.

It didn't matter what was in his blood, human or Galra genetics, at the core he was a paladin of Voltron. A defender of the universe… and Allura's best friend and true love. Neither of them needed the past in order to be happy in the future. They knew what their mission was, they knew who their friends were, and they knew how they felt about each other.

This…with each other… this was home.

"I choose you too." Allura leaned in and placed a soft kiss over his lips. Keith opened his mouth to welcome it, wrapping his arms tighter around her, while her hands reached up to his neck.

Hunk was already brawling like a baby, Pidge was literally 'Awww'ing at the scene, while Shiro was smiling proudly. Lance, to everyone's surprise, was actually cheering. He pounded his fists into the air when the two ended their kiss.

"Yeah, alright! The Kallura ship has set sail once again!"

Both Keith and Allura stared at him like he was crazy. "The what?"

"That's your ship name. Keith. Allura. Ka-lurra? Get it?" Lance's shoulder dropped when the two continued to stare at him with unamused expressions. "Never mind." Lance then muttered to himself, "Aliens."

Slav zipped on next to Shiro, opening his mouth to ask a question, one finger pointing at Allura.

"So…"

"She's not gonna kiss you." Shiro replied sternly. Slav dropped in disappointment and zipped off, back to the control panel.

(~)

The team arrived on Olkarion, where Coran and the Olkari had the teladuve set to be ready in less than a day. The planet's sun gave the city a beautiful warm, orange glow, making it feel like an endless sunset. The entire time, Keith had his arm wrapped around Allura, both smiling in satisfaction at the grand masterpiece.

So far, the entire plan was going along beautifully. They got the teladuve, the scultrite, the crystal, Slav (despite his annoying personalty), now all they had to do was install the virus onto Zarkon's ship and lure him to the teladuve in order teleport him galaxies away. While he was down, Voltron would defeat him once and for all.

It should work. It will work. Allura had to believe in that. She had to trust in herself and in her fellow teammates. She may not be a paladin herself, but she was every bit a member of the team as much as everyone else was. Yes, that also included Coran.

After a while, the princess gazed out at the teladuve as the Olkarion sun lowered further over the horizon. She managed to work things over with Keith, but her mind was still restless. Everything seemed to be going according to plan, but there was still much for them to do. What if they made one mistake? What if everything fell apart?

No. She couldn't think that way. Not now. She had to be strong. As scared as she was, she could not give into it. She would not give into it. And, if their plan did succeed, then what if….

"Princess."

Allura turned around to see Coran standing behind her. "There's something I've been meaning to talk to you about."

"What is it, Coran?"

"This plan of ours it's, well it's dangerous, you know? We're taking certain risks. You are taking certain risks. This teladuve, the amount of excursion it would take, you…" Coran chocked on his words. "You may not survive."

Allura was well aware of this, even if she wasn't willing to admit it to herself. She tried to convince herself she would make it out alright. That they would all make it out alright. But, a part of her knew the chances of survival could go either way. There was a chance of failure, and a chance for success. She knew what it would mean for her if things went south but… if this is what it took to ensure the universe could have a brighter future then so be it.

"Coran… I know the risks." Allura said. Her tone was a serene combination of confidence and hopefulness. She was hopeful everything would turn out alright. She didn't want to think about what could go wrong, but what could go right. She had to have faith.

Coran managed to smile. It was like the clocks of time had reversed and he saw King Alfor in Allura's place. So much of his strength, kindness and leadership radiated from the young princess. She had done so much, seen so much that caused her great pain and suffering. More than anything, he wanted her to have a bright future, one without Zarkon. She was willing to fight for that future. He couldn't be more proud.

"Your father would be proud of the leader you have become."

Allura smiled as well. Her eyes darted to his side, seeing the Red Paladin walking towards her. Coran heard his footsteps and turned to face him. He then turned to Allura and smiled knowingly. He nodded his head and walked away, not saying a word. His smile said all he knew already.

"How long were you standing there?" Allura asked.

"Long enough."

Allura sighed. She had been so happy before, now she could feel her world crumbling again. "Keith… I…"

"It's okay." Keith stepped closer, now face to face with the princess. The wind picked up, brushing his raven bangs and a few strands of Allura's silver hair. "We all know how risky this plan is, but if this is what it takes to take down Zarkon when we should give it all we've got."

"And, if I don't--" Allura was silenced when Keith took her hands in his.

"Allura. We _will_ make it through this. It's like you said, we've faced so much already and we managed to come back stronger than ever. The plan will work, and we will all be there to see it."

The princess smiled. "You know, you should consider being a motivational speaker."

Keith chuckled at the idea. "Yeah, I don't think I'm that good. I just love seeing you smile is all."

The two pressed their forehead together, soaking in the moment until Allura stepped back. "Oh, that reminds me!" from her pocket, Allura pulled out the little project she had made while on her way to the Balmara.

"The mice helped a bit with the sowing. After ten thousand years, I'm a bit rusty."

Keith couldn't believe what he was seeing. It was a new holder for his knife, made from a dark indigo fabric mixed with purple, and with neon outlines. Only, rather than them being the typical Altean blue… they were a purplish blue like that of the Blade of Marmora.

Keith took the gift in his hands, admiring the craftsmanship. "It's perfect. I love it." Keith didn't waste a second and pulled out his knife, placing it inside and sticking it to the side of his belt. It fit perfectly.

"And, I've got something for you too." Keith reached into his pocket and pulled out the locket he had gotten from that zebra lady back at the space mall. Allura's blue/pink eyes widened in awe, her hands reaching up to her mouth. She looked like she was about to cry.

"This nice zebra lady from the space mall gave it to me."

Allura cocked her head. "Zebra?"

"Who spoke in rhyme. It was a pretty weird day."

Both of them laughed. It was weird. It was the same day Lance and Pidge had brought home a cow, which even they weren't exactly sure where she had gone to. She might be somewhere in the castle, but there was no way to tell for sure.

Allura marveled at the authentic detail of the juniperberry flower on the surface of the locket. Keith walked up behind her, placing the necklace around her neck. It shimmered in the sunlight, the single diamond in the center sparkled like a star.

"I wanted to give it to you sooner but then we went to the Blade of Marmora's headquarters and, well…" Keith scratched the back of his neck nervously, to which Allura couldn't help but blush at how adorable he looked. She held the locket in her hands, tracing her finger over the flower.

"It's beautiful. I love it." As she gripped the locket tighter, Allura swore she would treasure it always. Keith promised the same thing as he traced his fingers over the gift Allura had given him.

The two held one another close, savoring the moment. Things were only going to get tougher from here on out, but right now, right here, they were together. And they would be together after this was over. Of that, they had no doubt. The entire universe would be free. Everyone will be free.

The two looked behind them to see that the rest of the paladins had arrived as well. Rather than feel disappointed that they weren't alone anymore, the two silently agreed that, right now, it was nice to have everyone together. This was going to be their toughest match yet, so they should make this moment count.

Everyone else smiled at the couple, Lance complementing on Allura's necklace, while Hunk complemented Keith's new knife holder. It was wonderful to see that everything worked out between the two of them.

Pidge leaned against the railing of the balcony, everyone looked out at the sunset in comfortable silence. After a few minutes, Pidge broke the silence with a question of her own.

"What's everybody thinking about?"

"Zarkon." Shiro replied.

"Calzones." was Hunk's answer. None of them should have been that surprised, but they still looked at him. "I-I mean, ah, you know what, yeah I'm thinking about calzones okay? Does it always have to be about Zarkon? He's a bad guy, we're trying to defeat him, I get it. I'm hungry."

Allura managed to giggle at Hunk's food obsession. Hard to believe she used to think they were a bunch of buffoons with little experience. And while she was half right, she had grown to care about them as if she had always known them.

"We've come a long way." Keith said, as if he had been reading her mind.

"Yeah." Lance nodded. "Remember when Hunk used to throw up from riding in the elevator?"

Hunk narrowed his eyes at Lance for a few seconds then recalled a different memory. "Or what about when you practically fainted when we found out Keith and Allura were dating?"

Now it was Lance's turn to pout and glare.

"What about when Lance almost had the Blue Lion stolen." Allura said, recalling the moment where Lance had made a complete fool of himself by letting Nyma steal the Blue Lion by flirting with him.

"Oh, yeah? What about that time Keith tried to beat up that little Arusian guy even though he was the size of a peanut?" Lance taunted.

"He was their bravest warrior!" Keith yellowed back, which only made Allura laugh. As annoying as their bickering could be, it could be assuming the other half of the time.

"How about the time the food goo machine attacked us in the kitchen?" Pidge said with a laugh.

Hunk shuddered at the memory. "That was the scariest thing that's happened to me the entire time I've been here."

"Aww, come on!" Lance nudged his arm.

"What? It's the truth."

"We've faced sentries, a haunted castle, giant robeasts, a mall security guard."

"And don't forget that cool cube thing." Pidge said.

"Yeah, that awful cube thing." Lance said with a casual wave of his wrist.

Allura smiled, her fingers still intertwined with Keith's and her new locket shimmering in the setting sunlight. "I'll admit, I had my doubts when you all first arrived. But, seeing you here now, I'm proud of how much you have all grown into a true team. A team I'm happy to be a part of." her eyes shimmered, as if tears would fall at any moment, but she still continued to smile.

"Word can't express how thankful I am to have met all of you. You may not be perfect, but I wouldn't have you any other way. To me, you're more than just paladins… you're my family."

"Yeah. Same here." Keith said, then kissed Allura on the cheek.

Hunk was already tearing up. "Awww! Is it just me, or is there a lot of love right now? Come on, group hug! Right here, everybody. Bring it in!"

The chubby yellow paladin spread his arms wide and wrapped Pidge and Lance in a tight bear hug. Lance managed to pull both Keith and Allura into the embrace as well, leaving Allura to pull Shiro in, who had been standing by, listening to the conversation, deep in his own thoughts. Never the less, he hugged them all as well.

The paladins and princess all laughed together, wrapped in each other's arms, every bit of the wild, crazy, imperfect family they were. They weren't flawless, they were a work in progress. They had dents, and they had quirks, but it was their flaws that made them work.

Theo were in this together, and they would face Zarkon… together.

(~)

Night had fallen on Olkarion, but Shiro was wide awake. He stared out into the starry night sky, studying the details of teladuve. Keith walked up from behind him.

"Everything okay?"

Shiro was quiet before he turned towards Keith. "I didn't want to say anything back there but… you do realize after we defeat Zarkon, the universe won't need Voltron anymore."

Keith's eyes widened briefly. The thought had lingered at the back of his mind but, he didn't dwell on it too much. He knew this whole thing wasn't going to last forever so long as they found a way to defeat Zarkon, and they had. He would be gone once this whole thing was over. But what happened afterwards…

"Well, I know Lance and Hunk would love to go back to earth." Keith said. Thinking about his home planet felt almost 'alien' to him now. "Pidge can find her family. What about you?"

"Me? Well, I've been experimented on, kept prisoner in an alien ship and forced to fright in a gladiator ring. I'd say going back to earth is my idea of a long overdue vacation." Shiro said, his voice lighter than it was before. He managed to get a chuckled out of Keith.

Keith was still. Now that they were talking about it, he realized he had never spoken to Shiro about what he wanted after they stopped Zarkon.

"I saw that illusion you had back at the Blade of Marmora's base." Shiro said, startling Keith. "About what you told Allura. Well, the hologram version of her anyway."

"So… you already know then."

Shiro stepped forward, placing a hand on his shoulder. "Keith. Remember what I told you before I left for the Kerberos mission? I told you that whatever it was you were aiming for, to aim high."

"Even if it involves a girl?"

"So what if it does? You're not that lost little boy anymore Keith. You're a grown man, you make your own choices. Whatever you choose, I will always be proud of you, no matter what."

Keith knew he didn't need to explain himself any further. Shiro already knew exactly what it was he was planning to do once this was all over. In reality, Keith never truly felt like he belonged anywhere back on earth. Maybe it was his Galra hybrid blood subconsciously telling him he was different from other humans. Whatever the reason, he now knew for certain that his destiny wasn't on waiting for him back on earth.

When he took the controls of the Red Lion for the first time, or even in that brief moment when he took over the Black Lion to save Shiro from those lizard creatures, the sensation felt so natural. Like, he was born for this. Fighting the Galra Empire, freeing these enslaved planets, traveling the galaxy, and doing it all alongside Allura…

This was where he belonged. Whatever the future took him, Keith was sure of one thing. He wanted to continue helping people, wether he was piloting a lion or not. He wanted to continue traveling the galaxy, making new friends and being a warrior. But most of all, he wanted to do it all with Allura at his side. Working together, for as along as he still had air in his lungs. And yes, he didn't care how corny that sounded.

Keith didn't know exactly when it happened, but the next thing he knew, he was hugging Shiro, who hugged him right back.

"Thanks. For everything."


	19. Chapter 19

After hours or agonizing wait, the Teladuv was finally completed. Allura thanked the Olkari for all they had done, and the paladins and the Alteans took the Teladuv into space. Now, it was time to set the plan into motion.

Shiro would lure Zarkon to where the Teladuv was located using the Black Lion, while Slav used the gravity generator to disguise the Teladuv from Zarkon. Only, the brilliant engineer wasn't sure how long it would last, since he had never done it for anything this large before. But, as Shiro placed it, that was a risk they would need to take.

Kolivan and Atta had a fellow Blade of Marmora, by the name of Thace, infiltrating Zarkon's ship who would upload the virus onto Zarkon's ship, rendering him defenseless. Then they would use the Teladuv to transport his ship miles away where Voltron would defeat him once and for all. So far, everything seemed to be in order, now they just needed to hear word from Thace and they were set.

Shiro flew out on the Black Lion. It didn't take long for him to sense Zarkon already getting a read on the lion. Rather than be concerned, Shiro smirked. Just as expected, he took the bait. However, Kolivan and the others hadn't heard from Thace as of yet. This was greatly concerning. He was crucial for their plan to work. If he hadn't contacted them until now, then something must have gone wrong.

"We need to abort the mission immediately."

"Abort?!" Allura exclaimed, defying Kolivan's orders. "No! We can not back away now!"

"The Blade of Marmora does not take chances." said Atta. "It's how we've survived for so long."

"It's held you back. Your caution may keep you alive, but it's the reason you have yet to make progress with defeating Zarkon." Allura replied. She knew she sounded a lot harsher than she needed to, but that wasn't out of them being Galra. She had the upmost trust in them and she didn't question their loyalty. She did, however, question their tactics. Allura refused to cower and run away, there was too much at stake.

"We would rather wait than jeopardize everything." Kolivan said. "Besides, it's too late to get someone else on the inside."

"I'll do it."

Allura's eyes widened, her eyes leaving Kolivan and landing on her boyfriend, who stood up from his respected paladin chair. His voice was edged with unbendable determination.

"What?"

"I'll sneak onto Zarkon's ship. I'm Galra so I'll be able to interact with their technology."

Keith knew that even volunteering was a risky move. But Allura made a valid point. They have all worked too long and too hard for this, they couldn't turn away now that they were so close. Besides, if there was anyone else who had the needs to pull this off, it was Keith. His Galra heritage would come in handy for once.

"Going into Zarkon's ship a suicide mission." said Kolivan, which didn't reassure Allura's concerns at all. These Blade of Marmora types certainly didn't sugarcoat anything, did they? Maybe it was a Galra trait? It would explain Keith's natural and unyielding honesty.

"I would never command someone so inexperienced to go on a mission so dangerous."

"No one's commanding me. I'm doing it."

He tried so hard to not look over at Allura, but his will failed him and his stomach got twisted in knots when he saw the distraught look in his girlfriend's shimmering blue eyes. She didn't say a word, so she knew as well as him that no matter what she said, or did, Keith was determined to make this plan work.

She couldn't help but admire his courage and selflessness. The very qualities that had made her fall so deeply in love with him, and surprisingly there have been times where she found herself falling more and more in love with him even after all this time. Keith never ceased to amaze her.

But, at the same time, she couldn't deny that one greedy part of herself that didn't want him to go. Not because she didn't want them to succeed but simply because she didn't want to lose him. Never the less, she knew if the roles had been reversed she would have done the same thing. They both knew the mission was more important than their own desires. As much as it frightened her, Allura had to let Keith do this.

Shiro, even from where he sat, could already imagine what was going on in Allura's head. He was proud that his old friend was brave enough to go through with it, but after their conversation the other night… he just hoped Keith would make it out alive so that his plans wouldn't go up in smoke.

"Pidge, ready that pod, and Keith… let me know when your on your way. I'll give you cover."

(~)

"Cloaking device is ready to go." Pidge said, slamming the container shut. She turned to Keith, who's attention had landed on the Altean princess standing at the entrance. Pidge's eyes traveled back and forth between the two. It didn't take a genius to decipher what they were thinking. Pidge adjusted her glasses and walked on towards the exit.

"Alright, alright, quit pushing. I'm going." she said comically and the doors slid closed behind her.

Allura stepped closer towards Keith. "Came to wish me good luck, or yell at me?" Keith asked, trying not to sound worried about what the answer would be. To his relief, Allura flung her arms around his neck, wrapping him in her embrace. She buried her face on the crock of his neck.

"I understand why you're doing this." her voice cracked, indicating there were tears. "I know I keep saying we need to make sacrifices in order to win this war. But, so many times, I wish it didn't have to be this way."

Keith held her tightly. "Hey, I'll be back. This isn't goodbye."

"I know. I just… I've already lost so much. I couldn't bare the thought of loosing you too."

Keith understood her concerns perfectly. There have been one too many times where he himself had been terrified of loosing Allura. When she was willing to risk her life to save the Balmara, or when she had to say goodbye to her father. They both were willing to make sacrifices for the greater good but… nobody could expect them to be all too thrilled with the idea of loosing the other.

Keith wiped the tears from her eyes, one hand griping the side of her arm. "Allura, there's something I have to tell you. Last night, I had a talk with Shiro. After we defeat Zarkon, he wants to go back to earth. No doubt Hunk and Lance will too, and so will Pidge once she finds her family. But me… I never planned on going back."

Allura's eyes widened a bit, but she listened attentively as he continued. "My home isn't back on earth. It's here, with you. That's why I was so worried when I found out I was Galra. I didn't want anything to get in the way of that future."

Allura's heart was beating faster than even she could keep up with. She was hoping Keith would stay with her even after this was all over, but this fight felt like it had been going on for so long she was questioning if it would ever end. It would at some point, but even so, even if the paladins chose to return home--which she wouldn't blame them for, and they could always visit--Keith had willingly chosen to stay with her.

"Keith, do you really mean…?" Allura was cut short when she felt Keith's hand against her cheek. She leaned into his touch.

"I want us to be together. Forever. You and me, exploring the galaxy and freeing people from Zarkon's reign, side by side."

"That's exactly what I want too."

"Then don't give up hope. We'll make it through this. We have our friends and we have each other. We can't fail… we _won't_ fail."

"I love you, Keith Kogane."

"I love you too. More than you will ever know."

The two shared a deep, passionate kiss. A single tear rolled down Allura's cheek, but it was a tear of pure joy. Any doubts and fears she had were washed away. For too long, Allura had been holding on to the life she had long lost and would never regain. But her father wouldn't want her to wallow in the past. He would wish for her to continue living. To have a future. That's why he froze her all those years ago. Alfor never lost hope his daughter would find happiness one way or another, even amongst the war.

And she did. She found her destiny. She found friends. She found love. She found a home. She had a future ahead of her, and no one, not even Zarkon, was going to take that from her.

"Please come back to me." Allura whispered into his ear.

"I will. Always."

(~)

Once Zarkon's base and fleet arrived, Shiro fought them off with his lion, holding himself well on his own, slicing through the fleets with his lion's jaw blade. Just as predicted, the fleets were distracted by keeping the lion at bay, while Keith, using the cloaking device Pidge installed, made his way towards the base, with Shiro cleaning a path for him.

Dodging the various explosions that came from the destroying ships, Keith managed to make his way through the fire and into the central command of Zarkon. It was a rough landing, and Keith had to fight several sentries but he did it. He was in.

The plan was working perfectly so far. Keith was inside, and Slav had already activated his gravity generator, cloaking the Teladuv.

Allura did a flawless job masking her nerves. While on the outside she was stone cold serious, inside her heart was pounding so hard she wouldn't be surprised if it came exploding out of her chest at any moment. She tried to remind herself to stay positive and while a part of her was hopeful, the other cautious side of herself was anxious as to what could go wrong. She prayed everything would go as planned, and Keith's words of encouragement would come true.

With great caution, and using his Galra heritage to his advantage, Keith managed to get through with ease. Following Kolivan's instructions, Keith reached the central control area while the rest of the paladins kept Zarkon and his fleet distracted.

Once Keith arrived, her prepared to upload the virus into the computer. But when he tried, he was blocked. He couldn't understand why. He used the code that Thace had obtained to reset the system, but nothing was happening. Keith's pulse hammered against his skin. What if Zarkon had caught onto their plan? Were they too late?

Before Keith could ponder on this any further, the doors slid open and he hid. A Galra entered and approached the controls. He didn't look too good. His left eye was swollen, he had bruises and scratches all across his face and body, not to mention the left side of his uniform was scratched, with a glowing wound on his chest, identical to the one Shiro had when they crashed on that alien planet.

Keith watched closely as the mysterious injured Galra tampered with the computer. The doors slid open again, revealing two Druids.

"And now we know you were attempting to shut down the system!"

Keith's eyes widened. So, this was Thace! No wonder he hadn't contacted the Kolivan before hand. He had already been interrogated, judging by the horrible shape he was in.

"You're too late!" Thace said, turning from the computer once he was done.

"No, Thace. You're too late." said the Druid in it's creepy voice. "We already changed the code."

They were right. The computer gave Thace the exact same responce it did Keith when he tried to hack it. Seems his early concerns were right on the money. Zarkon had managed to stay one step ahead of them. Hopefully, he didn't know of the Teladuv, since he was still being occupied with the paladins. Maybe there was still a chance.

Just as the Druids were about to attack Thace, Keith jumped from his hiding spot and flung his Marmora blade at one of them. Together, he and Thace fought off the remaining once, with Thace throwing him against a pillar, causing him to evaporate into thin air.

"Thace, I'm Keith. A paladin of Voltron."

"And a fellow Blade, I see." Thace said, looking at the familiar Marmora symbol on Keith's sword. "I guess we haven't failed."

"No yet." Keith replied.

While the paladins were trying to keep Zarkon's ship from leaving where the Teladuv was located, Keith and Thace worked on trying to inset the virus into the ship. The older Galra kept plugging various wires onto the computer, not saying a word as to why.

"What exactly are you doing?" Keith asked.

"I'm using the main power to overload the system."

A lump was caught in Keith's throat. "You're turning the room into a bomb?!"

"It's the only way."

Keith didn't know how to respond to that. He was no stranger when it came to sacrifice, but this was… a tad extreme, even by his standards. It's moments like this that really hit him hard with the harsh reality of it all.

Even if at times this entire adventure may seem like a sci-fi fantasy enthusiast's come true, traveling the galaxy, fighting evil and piloting magically advanced robotic lions that formed a mighty warrior, at the core of it all… this was still a war. And if there was anything Keith knew about wars, it's that they always involved a lot of sweat, blood and tears. Mostly blood.

Back on earth, so many war veterans returned emotionally, physically and mentally scarred from the trials they had witnessed. And Thace, with his exhausted eyes and beaten state, he looked no different than those poor souls he would see on the news or on news paper articles.

But, as true as all of that was, Keith was sure of one thing. He was a fighter. A survivor. He was no quitter, not now not ever, and it was going to be a cold day in hell if he left here without his fellow comrade and didn't return to his fellow paladins. 

Grabbing one of the laser guns that were left behind, Keith kept watch at the door. "Then do it. And quick so we can get out of here."

Keith kept watch as Thace tampered with the computer. The doors melted away to reveal more Sentries. Keith shot them all in one go but he knew it was only a matter of time before more arrived. Looking up to one of the pillars above he got an idea. He shot at the massive block which fell, blocking the exit.

"That solves one problem, but now we're trapped in here!" Keith said, now feeling incredibly stupid. Was it really such a hassle if he just shot at every sentry that came in? Then again, there's no telling how many would arrive and slow their process.

"No, we're not." Thace said, "There's an exit through the main power conduit. It leads to the second deck. Go, now!"

"What?! No, I'm not gonna leave you!"

"You must! I will shut down the system." Thace's eyes became soft, but Keith knew he saw shades of sadness and regret in those yellow orbs. "Paladin… this is where my journey ends. But as a member of Voltron you have a bigger mission. You must understand that."

Keith did understand that. He understood perfectly, as did Allura. But… even so, was did this responsibility really include needing to leave behind one of their own?

The reality of the war struck him hard again. This was just one of the consequences that came with it. Thace knew that, and he was willing to accept it. But, still…

"Don't you have someone you want to go back to?" Keith asked. "A family? Anyone?"

Thace's eyes grew even sadder. "Zarkon took everything from me. It is a sad link many Blades share." he placed a hand on Keith's shoulder. "But this is not why I chose to do this. Sometimes, one must give their own life so that another can live theirs. I can tell from your eyes you have someone you wish to return to. There is no shame in that. Please, if you truly wish to help me… then go. Go, and spare many others from my tragedy."

Keith had to suck on his lower lip to keep himself from crying. He couldn't help and admire Thace's selflessness. He really didn't want to leave him, but they were running out of time. Keith needed to go and return to his team, Thace needed to give him time.

With a heavy heart, Keith held his head up high. "It was an honor to meet you."

The opening exploded, and more sentries arrived. "Go! Now!" Thace commanded. Keith handed him the ray gun and the paladin jumped into the abyss bellow.

As if things couldn't get much worse, Slav's gravity generator stopped working and the Taladuv was now completely out in the open, and the virus still wasn't installed yet. As Keith ran out, he heard Allura's voice through his helmet. "Keith! What's happening? Where are you?"

"I'm on my way out! Thace is overriding the system! What's going on out there?"

"The Teladuv is now entirely exposed! We can't wait any longer!"

"Then stop waiting! Power it up, now!"

Allura didn't protest. They needed to act fast. She powered the Teladuv, which glowed blue as it hovered right above Zarkon's ship. Meanwhile, Keith heard the explosion, and a massive ball of fire came at him. He activated his shield, but the impact pushed him right out of the ship. Keith spiraled in space, but quickly regained his balance. The system was down so Kolivan was able to successfully install the virus.

Their plan managed to become a success after all. The virus was installed, and now all that was left was to transport the ship. Thace had done it. Keith felt both grateful, as well as remorseful that he couldn't save him. He just hoped that, like Ulaz, he would honor his memory by continuing to fight. Hopefully, he could one day spare someone else this kind of fate.

The Red Lion arrived to pick up Keith, while Allura used her powers to create a worm hole using the Teladuv. It was exhausting, and it made her weak in the knees, her head was thumping and she felt her limbs go numb once she was done. The princess collapsed, but the plan was a success. The paladins, all in their respected lions, and the Castle Ship all entered through the vortex following Zarkon's uncorking ship.

Both Shiro and Keith appeared on the screen, only to see Coran cradling the exhausted princess in his arms. "Coran, how's Allura?" Shiro asked.

"She's weak, but okay."

Allura's eyes fluttered and she saw both paladins on the screen. She managed to give a small smile when she saw Keith, smiling at her with both relief and pride. The locket he had given her still hung elegantly around her neck, shimmering in the light.

Turns out Keith was right after all. They were going to make it through this.

As Keith gazed into Allura's tired, yet still hopeful eyes, he knew Thace was right as well. He died so that others could have the chance to live… so that Keith could have the future he hoped to have with Allura.

But the fight wasn't over yet. They still needed to defeat Zarkon. But, without his power they had a fighting chance. Once they reached the other end of the wormhole, the paladins formed Voltron and were ready to end the Galra's reign once and for all.

"We gotta act fast!" Shiro said. "The power will only be down fro twenty minutes. The Blade of Marmora schematics show four targets we need to hit. The weapon systems, the engines, the bridge and the shilled generators. Now let's put an end to Zarkon. Once and for all!"

The paladins all cheered in agreement and proceeded with the plan. They were practically having a field day with destroying Zarkon' property. Allura regained more of her strength and when she saw Voltron slicing and dicing through the skip, she almost couldn't believe her eyes. She had to bite the inside of her cheek just to make sure she wasn't dreaming.

"We've done it." Allura said, her hand reaching out to grasp the locked around her neck. "This is the end of Zarkon's reign."

Allura wanted to smile, and cry all at once, though she knew it was still a little too early to celebrate. But staring at her father's creation finally putting an end to Zarkon was something she had always hoped she'd see, but so many times feared she wouldn't. All of their hard work, all of their sacrifices have led to this moment. It was almost unreal.

But, that dream hadn't come true just yet. Even though the ship was down, something had manifested beneath Voltron. A massive black orb with purple energy appeared. A string of energy shot right out of it, striking Voltron, rendering him powerless.

"NO!" Allura found the strength to get back on her feet and hurried to the controls, helplessly watching as the beam overwhelmed Voltron, and a blue energy came spiraling out of the giant robot, being absorbed into the orb. The paladins all screamed in pain. They could feel their energy draining not only out of their lions, but out of themselves as well.

Allura knew what was happening. The quintessence was being sucked right out of them! Out of the lions! Out of Voltron!

The pure blue quintessence floated all around, and Voltron stopped working. The machine floated lifelessly in space, with black electrical currents coursing above its surface. Allura desperately tried to reach the paladins. "Keith! Shiro! Pidge! Lance! Hunk! Can you hear me!? Anyone!"

"I thought the virus shut down all of Zarkon's power!" Coran said, whipping his head around to narrow his eyes at Kolivan, who looked just as horrified as the rest of them did.

"That blast was not from the ship's weapons… it was magic." Allura said, already feeling her anger boiling. It was Zarkon's witch, of this she was certain.

"Zarkon has been using a device to extract the quintessence from planets." Kolivan explained.

"If it destroys planets, what did it do to the paladins?!" Coran said in horror, which only fueled Allura's already growing anxiety.

"Paladins! Can you hear me?!" Allura exclaimed, louder than usual. The thought of loosing them was as painful as when she lost her father. They were her friends, her family. She had come to care for them as much as they cared for her. And Keith…

"Paladins! Keith! Shiro! Please, answer me!"

A static was heard and a familiar voice came through. Though it wasn't from her boyfriend, hearing the leader's voice was incredibly reassuring.

"Yes, Princess. We're okay." Shiro replied. He sounded tired, but he just said they were all alive.

"Oh, thank the ancients!" Coran said in relief.

Allura heard a groan coming through as well. She recognized this voice as well and her heart leaped. "Allura…"

"Keith! Oh, my darling! Thank goodness! You're all okay!"

"Yeah, but my lion's not working. I can't move it." Keith replied, sounding just as exhausted as Shiro did. They all sounded weak.

Hunk, Pidge and Lance all tried, but nothing they did resulted in their lion's responding. Coran explained what had happened and that they needed to leave before they were hit with another blast, but how could they if they couldn't move?

As if things couldn't get any worse, Zarkon had another trick up his sleeve.

From the ship's opening emerged a giant robotic creature that resembled Zarkon, with massive glowing purple skeletal-like wings. It was in the same massive size as Voltron, only far more lethal than the benevolent robot warrior. Allura tried to offer words of encouragement, but there was no hiding the terror in her voice, and Voltron still wouldn't respond to anything the paladins did. Shiro sensed Zarkon from within the creature. The monster was controlling this… this beast! And now, they were completely defenseless.

"We must buy them more time." Allura said, "Get us in closer. Divert all power to our weapon system."

"What?! Princess, we'll be defenseless!"

Allura fought the urge to grip her locket. She bit the inside of her cheek to keep herself steady and focused. "It's the only way."

Coran reluctantly did as she had requested and Allura piloted the castle towards the massive creature on the verge of taking down Voltron. Keith caught sight of her. His heart leaped, but not in a good way.

"Allura? What are you doing?!" he exclaimed, his voice in a panic.

"Listen to me. You are true paladins now. Connect with your lions, reach out to each other. Fight! This can not end now!"

Keith watched helplessly as the castle ship came in at full speed towards the giant battle armor, which was coming directly for Voltron. Its rockets shoot a purple glow that resembled intense flames, but Keith's eyes were locked on the castle ship. He knew what Allura was planning to do.

"No!" Keith tried desperately to get his lion to work again, but to no avail. He thought he would break the controls right off at how hard he was pushing on them. "Come on, work! Work! Now!"

The castle was coming in faster and faster, as fast as Keith's heart was beating. Allura stood her ground, feeling the metallic surface of the locket pressed against her neck as she zoomed in. She felt the tears that spilled from her eyes as she shouted her command.

"_Fire!_"

A massive beam came shooting from the castle, powerful enough to knock the giant robot back against the base, but its force was ten times greater than any castle ship could ever hope to obtain. Zarkon redirected the beam back at the castle….

"_ALLURA!!_"

Keith's scream was overlapped by Allura's own. Her hight pitched, ear piercing scream not only penetrated through the tough exterior of his lion, but also Keith's very soul.

Her screams became silent, only to be immediately followed by an explosion on the side of the castle. Its beautiful neon lights had shut off and the castle now flew motionless in space. Keith's eyes were wider than a flying saucer, his pupils shrinking in horror. His mouth trembled, he couldn't get a scream out. His grip on the controls was stone cold he couldn't even feel his fingers. Every bone and muscle in his body was still.

No. It couldn't end like this. He refused to believe it. Keith tried desperately to contact Allura through the communication of his lion.

"Allura! Allura, can you hear me?!" He was literally screaming out his words. "Allura! Please, answer me! _Allura!_"

No answer. Not even the sound of breathing. Keith was starting to hyperventilate. His body trembled, his fists tightened even harder around the controls, tears he didn't even know were there landed on his knees and hands. His jaw clenched so tight it was close to falling off. He could hardly feel the pressure in his teeth. His body was so numb if he pierced his knife right through his leg he wouldn't even flinch.

His heart shattered like glass falling on the floor where the smaller pieces were stepped on repeatedly.

His breathing intensified, becoming reminiscent of a furious beast-like snarl. Tilting his head back, Keith released a powerful, ear piercing cry. A blend of a human's desperate scream and the roar of an injured beast from the wild. His throat was on fire, he wasn't sure how long he had been screaming but once he was finished he hung his head, slamming his fists onto the control panel.

He grunted, he growled, he sobbed, he did it all as he vented out his frustrations onto the now slumbering lion, hitting the controls with everything he had. He didn't care if he broke his knuckles while doing so.

Within their own lions, Lance, Hunk, Pidge and Shiro could feel the vibrations of his violent banging and the sound of his tantrum. No one said anything. Hunk, Pidge and Lance all hung their heads, mourning their fallen comrades. Shiro's eyes were deadlocked as he listened to Keith having the most heart wrenching temper tantrum anyone had ever heard.

Keith's mind flooded with memories of the Altean Princess. When they first met. When they first spoke of Voltron. When they rode horses together. Their snowball fight. Their first dance. Their first kiss. Their first official meeting. All of those little moments they shared, even when he was revealed to be Galra. The joy in her eyes when he gave her the locket. The beauty and hope in her smile when he said he wanted to stay with her.

Gone… she was gone. Their future… finished before it even started.

It wasn't supposed to end like this. They were supposed to have won. They were supposed to stay together. This couldn't be over.

And it wasn't.

"Everybody, listen." Shiro's voice rang in Keith's ears. For a moment, he thought he was hallucinating, until he kept on going. "We have to fight. We have to channel all our energy. Visualize five becoming one. We have to focus everything we have into moving Voltron."

Keith managed to find some form of willpower to loosen his grip on the controls. His tears made his vision blurry and his jaw was clenched tight. But, Shiro's words managed to pierced through his heartache and remind him of his mission.

Allura sacrificed herself to save all of them. To give them a fighting chance. She knew the risk and she took it anyway. She was a true hero, through and through. They may not get the chance to have the future they had hoped for together, but Keith was sure of one thing:..There was no way, in this universe, or reality, that he was going to allow Allura's heroic sacrifice to go on vein. Zarkon would not win this. He would carry on her fight until the very end. He promised her he would fight by her side, and Keith was not going to break that promise. Not now, or ever.

"We are the last thing standing in the way of Zarkon's total universal domination. I'm not giving up that fight! Are you Hunk?"

"No."

"Pidge?"

"Never!"

"Lance?"

"Let's go down swinging."

"Keith?" Shiro's voice was hesitant for a bit. He couldn't tell if Keith had managed to pull himself together.

Even if he didn't wipe away his tears, Keith held the controls tightly, feeling the fire radiating from his lion burn within his soul. He could feel Allura's energy right there with him. He managed to form a small smile, not one of happiness or excitement, but one of determination. One of vengeance. Vengeance aimed at Zarkon.

"I'm all in."

Miraculously, Voltron had awoken, reacting to the paladin's determination and force of will. Their energy was restored, which in turn restored the energy of the robot. They formed the sword, and got ready to fight the Zarkon robeast.

(~)

Inside the castle, Allura, Coran, Kolivan, Atta, and the space mice all floated in zero gravity. Coran was the first to awaken. He floated towards Allura, who stirred awake. The castle was completely down, their weapons, communications, everything. It appeared they were out of this fight now, but Allura refused to give up. She refused to just sit back and let the paladins fight that beast, while Haggar could still strike them at any moment and leave them without power once more. They were lucky to have survived the first time, but the second…?

"Coran, you and Slav do everything you can to get the castle working again. Kolivan, can you get me to the Commar?"

The Blade's leader was about to say almost the exact same thing he had told Keith when he volunteered to get into Zarkon's ship. But, judging by the fire in the princess's icy blue eyes, he knew he was in a loosing battle. The princess was a spitfire, and a stubborn soul just as Keith was.

"It will be dangerous, but I know a way."

"You and Atta come with me. We're going to have to attack the witch directly if we're going to stop that thing." Allura pushed herself towards the exit doors, where Kolivan and Atta quickly followed.

"Coran, the bridge is yours!"

"No!" Coran protested, while Slav floated beside him. "You've been weakened by operating the Teladuv! You can't face Haggar directly!"

"We don't' have a choice." Allura replied and she and the two Galra hurried to the pods. Allura quickly grabbed her bow-staff, put on her helmet and got ready to face Haggar. Nobody was going to steal the quintessence of her friends and boyfriend so long as she had any say in the matter.

As she and her two comrades flew towards the ship, they saw Voltron still fighting the horrid beast. It was clearly an even match, but Allura refused to give up on the paladins.

Once they had arrived, Allura and the two blades fought Haggar's Druids. As greedy as it sounded, Allura was lashing out all of her anger onto the cloaked beings. Even Kolivan was a tad intimidated by her strength. The young princess was a savage in the battle field, yet still kept an air of feminine grace and regal composure. No wonder Keith was so attached to her. If she were a teenage female Galra, she would have all the boys practically worshiping the ground she walked on. 

As for the paladins themselves, Zarkon managed to reach Shiro, trying to detach him from the Black Lion. Shiro tried to fight it, but the force was too powerful. Voltron was separated, and Shiro was out cold.

"Shiro? Shiro!" Keith called out, but no responce. Shiro was down, so they couldn't form Voltron. At this point, it looked like they didn't stand a chance anymore. Zarkon had won.

But no, Keith was not going to go down like this. This was all or nothing now. It was then, something ignited within Keith. Something that took over, guiding him. He wasn't sure what it was but he didn't have time to analyzes it now.

"Guys, we can't let Zarkon get the Black Lion!" Keith said. The other paladins didn't protest. They all rallied beside him and fought Zarkon together. Keith continued barking out orders, telling the paladins which spot to hit, and when another was coming at them, and in return they did the same for him and blocked the attacks that came at him. They had to keep Zarkon away from Shiro by any means necessary.

While Keith was fighting alongside the paladins to keep Shiro save, Allura and her companions fought the Druids to protect Voltron from them. Kolivan sent his blade flying, breaking apart the mask of one of the Druids, leaving him disoriented enough for Allura to knock the end of her staff at his stomach before swinging it downwards onto him like a swatter squashing a fly, then lifting him back up again and tossing him aside.

Both the princess and Kolivan had managed to overpower one of the Druids, leaving Atta to fight the other. The Galra's blade was shoot right out of his hand, curtesy of Haggar, wounding him in the process. Allura's icy blue eyes widened when she noticed the Druid's hand engulf in a dark energy, aiming it at a wounded Atta.

She couldn't even yell out a desperate "_NO!_", for her own voice had frozen shut when she saw the black energy pierce though the warrior's chest. His now lifeless body collapsed onto the levitated board, his blade dropping to the side. Allura's grip on her staff tightened, her jaw clenching so hard she felt her own teeth would bleed, yet she didn't care.

She may not have known Atta personally, but she saw first hand in the short time that they had that he was indeed a valiant soldier who fought for the freedom of the universe just as much as she did. First Ulaz, then Thace, and now Atta. One too many lives have been lost already, and it no longer mattered to Allura that they were Galra or not.

Yesterday, the death of a Galra would have given her a sense of reassurance of one last monster in the world. But today, their deaths only fueled her anger towards the true enemy: Zarkon.

She was right, one life means nothing to him. Even if they were his own people. Just as Keith honored Ulaz's sacrifice, and later Thace's, Allura would honor Atta's. Nobody deserved to suffer this fate. Nobody.

While Kolivan fought with a third Druid, Allura set her eyes on only one target. The Witch. The Altean princess leaped onto her board, narrowly dodging the incoming dark energy blasts. The witch was slick, she would admit that much, but she was not going to win this fight. She would pay for all the suffering she and her master had inflicted on this universe. All the pain she had inflicted on her friends, all the pain she inflicted on Allura herself.

With a vengeful swing, Allura knocked the witch down. Her cloaked skeletal-like body rolled onto the edge of the board, her hood having fallen off in the process. Allura could now see her full head of long white hair, almost as white as her own with small hints of purple hues, hidden amongst the red lighting. The witch groaned as she sat upright, struggling like a fragile old woman. For a split second, Allura felt sympathy, only to have it immediately overtaken by a horrific realization.

As the witch's evil yellow eyes stared into Allura's pure blue orbs, her long thin hair falling over her shoulders, her ears were entirely exposed along with the rest of her face. Aside from her purple skin, Haggar's face didn't look remotely Galra. She lacked the purple markings or the fur-like ascetics, but rather her ears were pointed upwards, and red markings ran down from the ends of her eyes all the way down passing her cheekbones only to end just bellow her lips.

Allura's heart was caught in her throat. She knew those markings. She had seen them on her people long before, as well as her pointed ears which carried not even the tiniest hint of Galra genetics. They weren't long enough.

"You're…. Altean?!"

How was this possible? If Haggar was Altean and she was with Zarkon then… then… one of Allura's own people had taken part in the very destruction of her home planet?! She knew Zarkon had a witch companion, though she never knew where she had come from and assumed she was one of his female Galra commanders, but… Altean?!

All this time, Allura had been angry with the Galra for killing her people, when this whole time one of her very own had sat back and watched her own home get blown to smithereens. All of those lives… families… friends… all lost.

As if learning to accept not all Galra were evil was jarring enough, this reveal had completely shattered Allura's worldview to the point of no return. She could never un-see this truth, and perhaps it was best she didn't.

"You… you destroyed Altea! You killed your own kind!" Allura exclaimed, her anger boiling over. What reason could this… this creature have in destroying her very home?!

Rather than supply Allura with a response, Haggar only lunged forward, her hands outstretched and a beam of dark energy came shooting at the princess. Allura's staff was thrown out of her hands and she held her arms upwards to shield herself. She didn't know why she did that, for what chance did she stand against this dark energy?

Allura could feel her body being pushed back by the force. The weight of the pain in her heart felt like it was sinking her down as if she were tied to a stone and left to sink into a cold unforgiving ocean. It was then, she heard the sounds of her fellow paladins, still fighting Zarkon, trying to keep him away from the Black Lion.

Keith's cries of pain when his lion kept getting hit echoed in her ears, overlapping the crackling of the blast. But even with their energies running low, they kept on fighting the mechanical beast until the Black Lion somehow re awoke and spread out its majestic wings for the first time in ten thousand years, flying right past Zarkon's mechanical body.

She wasn't sure what had happened, only that the combined forces of the Lions forged together as one once again. Voltron fought Zarkon, and she could hear--and feel-- her friend's enthusiastic cheers. They hadn't given up, even when all seemed lost. Allura was tempted to say maybe she had played a part in this, but in truth… it had been them who inspired her.

Especially Keith. The man who stood by her side through the impossible. They were Team Voltron. They defied the impossible.

All of these thoughts and feelings ran through Allura like an electrical current, expanding into an explosion of energy. An energy that filled her with something they all fought to keep afloat throughout this insane tempest of a war.

Hope.

Allura opened her eyes, slowly lowering her arms. The dark energy hadn't done anything to her. If anything, the dark powers disappeared, and her entire body was glowing a bright pink.

"_This energy,_" she thought, "_I… I recognize it_."

"Impossible!" the witch exclaimed, which only made a small smile from at the corner of Allura's mouth. Impossible was what Voltron was all about.

Haggar unleashed more of her dark powers but Allura effortlessly pushed back. Her brows furrowed in determination as she stepped closer, pushing the dark energy back and weakening Haggar until she was on her knees. With the witch down, Allura towered over her.

"You will never destroy another innocent world!" Allura's voice boomed, louder than ever. With a powerful cry, Allura pressed her hands onto the surface of the board she and Haggar stood on. Currents of pink energy flew in all directions, destroying the witch's inventions, and giving Kolivan time to stab the final Druid in the chest.

He watched in astonishment as the princess's body emitted a bright pink blast, frightening the witch who teleported herself away. Allura panted as she stood back up on her feet, her pink glow disappearing and seeing the destruction of the witch's evil machine all around her. Kolivan quickly grabbed her and the two left before the entire thing collapsed. It was hard to tell who was more astonished. Allura, or Kolivan.

Meanwhile, Coran finally managed to get the power back to the Castle. The paladins cheered knowing their friend was alive!… and, to a lesser extend, Slav.

"What about Allura?" Keith asked, ignoring Lance's groan when he heard Slav's voice.

"She's alright." Coran replied, "She's fighting Haggar as we speak!"

Keith breathed the biggest breath of relief he had ever imagined. She was alive. Allura was alive! And…

"Wait, she's what?!"

So, while they were fighting Zarkon, Allura was fighting his witch?… Keith was both surprised, and yet not surprised at the same time.

Another voice came through the intercom of Keith's lion. "Keith? Keith, can you hear me?"

"Allura!" the red paladin's responce came out so loudly he almost left his fellow teammates deaf, not that they blamed him. He all assumed Allura had perished, so they could understand Keith's relief and untold joy when he heard her voice. Keith let out another breath of relief, converged with an joyful laugh. "I thought I lost you!"

"You can't get rid of me that easily, babe." the princess replied. He could already imagine her adorable little smirk.

"Uh, maybe you guys can pick this up later?" Pidge said, interrupting their small moment. "This isn't over!"

The green paladin spoke words of truth. Zarkon's ship had come back online, which left them very little time left. Allura and Kolivan hurried to the Castle Ship, while the paladins prepared for one final blow.

The two space behemoths collided, with Voltron's sword piecing the side of Zarkon's beast. For a moment, all was still. Then, Zarkon grabbed the head of Voltron, trying one final attempt to reclaim the Black Lion.

Shiro could feel his power overtake him again, until he saw the opening of where his bayard was supposed to be. When he awoke, he managed to unlock the lion's teleportation abilities and recuperated Zarkon's bayed. Now Shiro's.

Once he placed his new bayard in place, the sword turned from blue to yellow, becoming a literally fire blade. All paladins screamed in unison as they swung the flaming sword onto the mechanical beast. A flash of light engulfed the paladins.

Once it had cleared, all five lions had dispersed. The paladins were a bit delirious but their lions were operational. As for Zarkon, his body now floated in the endless vacuum of space. Shards of his armor and bits of his once formidable mechanical body were now cracked, emitting purple electrical currents all around. The once fearsome leader of the Galra empire had finally met his end.

With Allura and Kolivan back on board, the lions prepared to leave. Keith then noticed that one of them was missing. Turning his head he saw the Black Lion floating just as motionless as Zarkon was.

"Shiro!" Keith cried out. He and the others towed him back onto the skip and entered through the wormhole just as the fighter jets came back. The battle was over.

Once they had exited through the portal, Allura hurried down to the hangar to meet the paladins. Each one was overjoyed to see the princess and Coran alive and well. Keith didn't waste a second and in the time it took them to blink, he scooted the princess into his arms. Allura was on the brink of tears as she held her beloved paladin in her arms and started peppering his cheeks with kisses.

But the time to celebrate would still have to wait. Allura quickly took Keith's hand in hers, neither one letting go even for a second, and accompanied by the other paladins they hurried towards the Black Lion. Keith called out his friend's name.

Not once did Shiro reply back, nor did they receive any responce from the Black Lion. It was spread out on the floor like a sleeping feline. Only, with its blue lights completely shut off, and its mouth opened up, the jaw looking slightly dislocated, gave off a much more… unsettling image.

Once they had all entered the cockpit, the controls, everything was completely shut off. They hoped to see the shadow of their leader sitting unconscious, but once they approached all they saw was an empty leather seat. His bayard was still inserted in its place, but the Black Paladin was nowhere in sight.

All paladins and Alteans looked at one another and all around, but there was no sign of Shiro anywhere. They called his name, nothing. They searched ever inch of the lion, even the hangar doors, and nothing.

"He's gone." Lance finally concluded. No one else said anything in contrast.

Keith's entire body was frozen. He had felt this same hurt when he thought Shiro had died, but at least then he had an idea as to why he never came back. He didn't know how Shiro had disappeared, or why, or even if he was still out there. Did Zarkon do something? Did his witch? What did this all mean?

His eyes met Allura's, brows furrowed with worry. He didn't need to explain to her how he was feeling. She had seen this happen before. Instinct took over and she cupped his cheek before it sliding down to rest on his chest. Keith placed his hand over hers, his thumb tracing over her fingers as she leaned her head on the crock of his neck, her lower lip quivering as Keith closed his eyes shut.

Shiro was gone. They had no idea where he was, how he disappeared, and no doubt they would need to find him and fast. But, if they didn't… what would become of Voltron


	20. Chapter 20

The paladins did everything in their power to try and decipher what happened to their leader. Pidge inspected the lion inside and out but found no trace of Shiro, not even evidence that he was there to begin with. It was as if he never existed. This only augmented everyone's concerns. Neither Allura, nor Coran had any logical explanation as to how Shiro had disappeared. They were up all day and all through the night, trying to think back on what happened, metaphorically dissecting their brains for any clues or hints, even looking up things about teleportation but they came out empty.

Keith was experiencing a sense of deja vu. Trying to find information about something nobody could explain took him back to the past where he practically dried up the Garrison library, borrowing books of all kinds to try and find an explanation as to how he could contact with Allura and how to find her. Just like back then, all attempts to find an explanation failed miserably.

Eventually, everyone grew too tired to keep their eyes open and agreed it was best if they continued in the morning. Keith wanted to protest and keep trying, but seeing the exhausted look on everyone's faces, the hideous dark bangs under their eyes, not to mention that even he himself couldn't keep his eyes open either and his head was still throbbing from their battle, a good night sleep sounded like a good idea. Along with fighting Zarkon, and experiencing the heartbreak of loosing the woman he loved, it really took a lot out of him. He was't about to give up finding his best friend, but he wouldn't be of much help if he was half awake.

With that, everyone dispersed and retreated to their rooms. In the lounge, the only two who remained were Keith and Allura. The two sat side by side on the couch, their fingers intertwined. Just as Allura was about to open her mouth to speak, Keith took her by surprise by wrapping his arms around her, puling her into a tight embrace.

All the tears he had been holding back while everyone was still there had finally broke free, cascading from his eyes down to Allura's shoulders and in strands of her hair, which had come undone, falling elegantly behind her back. Allura's own tears saw it safe to come out as well.

"We'll find him, Keith. I promise." Allura said, fighting the sobs as best she could in order to comfort him. She was, once again, caught off guard when Keith cupped her tear stained cheek and placed an intense kiss on her lips. His hand cupped the back of her neck as he leaned in further, deepening the kiss.

They briefly parted and Keith let out a sound that was hard to distinguish if it were a sad sob or an ironic chuckle. "I know, it's just… I thought I lost you." he said, echoing the exact words he told her during that final battle. He held her face in his hands, staring into her eyes, fearing as if he looked away or if he let her go she would disappear.

"Do you have any idea what you put me through?!" Keith tried his hardest not to let his voice rise, but it proved to be difficult. More sobs came as did the tears, yet he held onto the princess, wiping her tears with his thumb.

"I only did it to give you a fighting chance." Allura said. Her voice didn't sound angry, and neither did his.

"I know. I know why you did it…" Keith sucked on his lips, tasting the salt of his tears. "That doesn't change anything. I felt like a part of me had shattered."

"I'm sorry." Allura said in between sobs. "But if I hadn't done it, you would have been lost as well. If that blast hadn't killed me, the thought of living without you certainly would have." the princess held his face in her hands, his tears cascading over her fingers. "I can't imagine my life without you. I don't want to imagine my life without you."

"I don't want to imagine mine without you, either." Keith said in reply. They both were perfectly aware of the circumstances. He knew why Allura did what she did, and she was proud of him for continuing to fight. But, as it was stated long before, just because they were fighting in a war and they knew of the stakes, that didn't mean they would be one hundred percent in agreement with what they would need to sacrifice.

After all, Allura had sacrificed so much already, as did so many others. The memories of Ulaz, Thace and poor Atta came to their minds. They had even just, for the moment, lost one of their own. There was no evidence that pointed to Shiro being dead so they refused to even consider that option unless it was clear. All of these people have made sacrifices for the greater good, at the expense of their own happiness.

King Alfor died to give Allura a second chance. Ulaz died to give Voltron a fighting chance. Thace died to give others a chance at happiness, one he had been wrongly stripped away from. And Atta had died while assisting Voltron. How was it that the most selfless and bravest souls had to suffer the most? Keith felt as if his entire world had shattered beyond repair at the thought of loosing Allura, and all because Allura was wiling to risk her own life for theirs.

It was one of the many things Keith loved about her. She was so selfless. At times, almost recklessly so, but then again, how was he any different?

Truth be told, as tragic as the losses were, and as much as they swore to honor their heroic deeds, Allura and Keith didn't want to think about the war right now. They didn't want to think about Zarkon, or Voltron or anything. Right here, right now, all they wanted was one moment in time were neither of them had the weight of the galaxy on their shoulders. That Allura wasn't a princess forced to make hard choices. That Keith wasn't a paladin fighting in a broken world. Right now, they just wanted to take in the security of holding one another in their arms, the warmth they felt when gazing into each other's eyes, and the promises that held in every kiss they shared.

Their tears slowly ceased once their lips collided. Keith arms were wrapped securely around Allura's waist and she pulled Keith further in with her arms around his neck. The magical energy Allura had experienced when she fought Haggar hours ago could never compare to what she was feeling right now. All of the world's problems became foggy in her mind before becoming engulfed in a thick mist. She knew she would need to dig them back up again, but for now she wanted to savor the freedom she had of being with the man she loved.

The two parted, staring into each other's eyes. Their tears were now completely gone as were their troubles, even if for this short moment. Their foreheads touched, Allura's hands rested on his shoulders and Keith held her waist with one arm, his free hand cupping her left cheek. Allura adjusted herself till her head was snuggled in the crock of his neck, with Keith kissing her forehead.

"I wish we could stay like this."

"Me too."

"I meant what I said. About finding Shiro."

"I know." Keith said, rubbing her shoulder. "We'll figure it out… together."

Allura smiled, sighing contently. "Together."

A few hours had passed and Coran entered the room, only to stop midway when he saw that the princess and red paladin were already sound asleep, enveloped in each other's arms. The older Altean smiled, placing his right hand over his cheek, silently gushing at how adorable the two looked together. He hadn't seen a young couple this lovely since King Alfor and his wife.

Memories of Altea flooded his mind and he mentally chuckled at himself at the times where he served as Alfor's wingman to try and impress his beloved. Times were so innocent back then. Simpler and happier. The only thing they ever had to worry about was whether or not Alfor had his sword polished before a battle, or trying not to trip over his words during his next date.

Now, every day was a struggle. Every mission could be their last. And every new attack only left them simultaneously more experienced, but also more worn.

Coran sighed sadly to himself. What would he give to have those days back. Even in her slumber, Coran caught a glimmer of a smile on the princess's face. What would he give in order to keep that smile there. The child had been through so much, and yet, miraculously, she found happiness amongst all this darkness.

The kind man wrapped a blanket over the sleeping couple, careful not to startle them, and switched off the lights. He looked over his shoulder one final time before leaving the room.

"Ah… young love."

(~)

The next few days were busy. News that Zarkon had been defeated spread like wildfire. It was almost unreal to believe that the evil emperor was finally over throne. But, even with that said, the Galra empire was still active, conquering planets and enslaving innocents. But, with their leader out of commission, the paladins had the upper hand.

Lance and Hunk had gone off to free another planet from Galra forces, aided by the Blade of Marmora. Pidge continued the search for her family, looking at video footage she gathered from her, Lance and Shiro's trip to the space prison to retrieve Slav. With every new planet they have freed, more and more leaders joined in the collation Allura had hoped to form once again. But, even with all of these surprisingly easier victories, the princess was still restless.

That night when she and Keith were alone was wonderful. All of the world's issues disappeared. Sadly, it wasn't meant to last forever, no matter how much she wished it would.

The search of Shiro was still going. They tried everything they could, but Pidge couldn't find any trace, and the Black Lion was still unresponsive. Keith had taken the red lion back to the scene of the fight, where remains of Zarkon's beast still floated about.

Keith sighed in defeat. There was no sign of any life here, not even a trace of who could have been here before. It had been two weeks already, and while they've made progress with only four lions, how long would it be until they would need to form Voltro again? Without Shiro, how could they?

"_If anything happens to me… I want you to lead Voltron._"

This wasn't the first time those words echoed in Keith's memory. They've been echoing for two weeks without end every single time the image of his best friend manifested in his thoughts. The team wouldn't stop looking for Shiro, that much was certain, but what if he didn't come back soon enough? How would they manage without him?

How could Shiro place this responsibility on Keith's shoulders? He knew nothing about being a leader. All he knew was how to fly fast, move fast and think fast. He was always used to working alone and often did his own thing, how could anyone like him possibly be the leader?

Shiro was Keith's best friend. His brother. His family. He gave Keith a second chance at a better life, so he refused to give up on him now. This wasn't just about Voltron… Keith couldn't loose his family again.

But, as much as he tried to stay hopeful, there was no denying the truth. Shiro, wherever he may be, wasn't coming back anytime soon.

As for Allura, the poor thing was a nervous wreck. Or sure, she masked it rather well, but inside she was as fidgety as the mice on bath day. She continuously studied her reflection, even sniffing her dress, worried it might smell a bit musty after so long.

These types of meetings used to feel like second nature to her, now she felt out of practice. All of the leaders of the planets they had freed were arriving for a meeting with the princess in order to discuss further matters of fighting the Galra. She needed everything to go right.

Coran entered her room, catching her whiffing her dress. He kindly assisted her, while pointing out details about diplomacy, how it was mainly appearances, small talk and such to try and ease her troubles. But Allura was more focused on the matter at hand; fighting for the freedom of the universe.

"We just freed these planets. Do you really think they're ready to come together to fight the Galra?" Allura asked her caretaker.

"I don't think it's a question of wanting to fight back, but of believing that it's possible. It's up to you to give them that faith."

Allura fought the urge to groan impatiently. She knew Coran was right, but placing all of this pressure that she alone should be the one to encourage these people? Teenage paladins and one experienced pilot, sure. A planet of oppressed Balmarans, of course. But all these leaders at once? What if one of them didn't want to fight? What if they refused? Even the Balmarans were hesitant, and Allura managed to reach out to them, but who's to say she would have the same luck now.

She wasn't sure where these doubts were coming from, but as she recalled the memory of that night she now knew. It was because the team was incomplete. They had no leader of Voltron, the Black Lion was out of commission. They didn't have their most powerful weapon at their disposal. Maybe if they did, Allura wouldn't be feeling so unsure of herself. These people relied on Voltron, if she couldn't promise them that, then what could she promise?

"It should be Voltron."

"We can't always put the fate of the universe on the hands of a giant weapon." Coran said. "At least, that's what your father believed."

Allura took in Coran's words. She wanted so much to believe that was true, but with everyone already placing their hopes of freedom on Voltron, she was already wondering on whether or not this fact would convince the other leaders.

The door opened once more, revealing Keith. His expression was serious, even as he locked eyes with Allura. Coran placed his hands behind his back and prepared to make his leave.

"Well, I'll just be heading back to the dinning room and see if we have everything."

The doors slid closed behind him, leaving the two to talk. "Any luck?" Allura asked hopefully.

Keith hung his head. "No." he replied. His voice was low and unfeeling.

Allura sighed in regret and wrapped her arms around his torso. "I'm sorry, Keith. I was so sure that--"

"It's not your fault." Keith said, wrapping his arms around her, smoothing her hair. "I just don't know what else to do now."

"I desperately wish I had the answers you needed, but I don't."

"It's okay. I know you're trying. We all are."

Allura released him, rubbing her temples with her hands. "This has all just been so frustrating. First Shiro goes missing, and now we can't form Voltron, and now we have the leaders of all these planets we've freed coming here, and no doubt they'll be asking for Voltron and--"

"Allura, Allura, hey, stop." Keith gently took her hands. The princess was going around like a hummingbird inside a box.

"I'm sorry." she said. "I know you're having a hard time with this, and believe me if I could somehow magically bring Shiro back for you I would."

Keith was feeling distraught about their lack of progress, that much as certain, but seeing just how much Allura was trying to help him find Shiro even though she didn't know how and juggling with everything else… he just couldn't stay upset with her. While the situation may be difficult, and even worrisome with Keith still thinking about what Shiro had told him before, he appreciated Allura's efforts.

After all, Keith had done everything in his power to find Allura from his time on earth, no doubt she wanted to do the same for him, and she knew how much Shiro meant to Keith. They were brothers, not by blood but brothers in arms. Best friends until the end. She always admired their bond, and she looked up to Shiro just as much as the other paladins did. He was always so kind and supportive of her, he was like the elder brother anyone would be lucky to have.

But, even with the current situation, Keith knew Allura was going through a lot as well. She was trying to be a leader during this war. A beacon of hope for these people who had just been freed from Galra oppression.

He wrapped his arms around her once more. "Look, I apreciate everything you're doing, really. But you got to take it easy too."

"How can I when we can't even form Voltron? These people have heard all of these stories about how we freed the Balmarans and the Olkari. They're relying on us to give them hope, Keith. I'm…" Allura averted her gaze for a moment. "I'm scared it won't be enough."

Allura had felt she might had let Keith down by not finding Shiro, but now it was Keith who felt he had let Allura down. This whole time, while she was worried they wouldn't have Voltron, he had been hiding a very vital piece of information.

Shiro told Keith that he wanted him to lead Voltron, and he had piloted the Black Lion once before. So, no matter how much Keith didn't believe he was up for it, he was the only one Shiro had chosen as his successor. But, even if he did pilot the Black Lion, who would take Red? If any of the paladins took him, who would take their lion? They would still be short a paladin. Still, the fact that Keith was keeping this from Allura was already eating him up inside.

After having kept secret that he was part Galra, every bone in his body was telling him not to make the same mistake again. Still, the distraught look in Allura's eyes was all the clincher he needed. But before he would tell her what Shiro said, she needed some words of encouragement first.

He gently lifted her chin up. "Allura, listen to me. You are the most inspirational and steadfast person I have ever met. If there is anyone who can motivate these people to fight back against the Galra, believe me, it's you."

At that moment, Allura felt a tiny bit foolish. Of course she had Keith, and Coran's and everyone's encouragement. Guess, when one's head is so wrapped up with things it becomes easy to let these small, yet still vital, things slip away. Thankfully, she had the most amazing man in the universe to help remind her.

Maybe she should have more faith in her own skills as as she had faith in the paladin's skills. After all, their skills were what formed Voltron to begin with. Sure, they were still short a paladin, but they could still make it work. How, she didn't know, but they weren't going to stop until they did. And she wouldn't have to do it alone.

Allura let out a sigh of relief and rested her head on her boyfriend's shoulder. "Thank you, Keith. You always know just what to say."

Keith wrapped his arms around her, trying his hardest not to let his uncertainty show in his face. Keith never really took himself as someone who always knew the right thing to say at the right moment. It was just different with Allura. He hated seeing her so upset, so the words of comfort seemed to come out easily for him at times. He didn't try to sugarcoat things like most guys did, he just told her the truth. Unlike with most people, it was so much easier to be steadfastly honest with Allura. Probably because they were both rather straight forward people at times.

His conscience kept screaming that he would need to tell her this at some point. And this time, he wouldn't waste another moment. He just… needed to find the right one first. He didn't want to give these visiting leaders a sense of false hope. In his eyes, that was worse than lying.

Besides, he may have been able to pilot the Black Lion once… but, would it allow him to do so again?

(~)

Once Hunk and Lance returned, they informed Allura and the others of their progress. The leader of the planets they had just freed agreed to join the coalition. Allura was already feeling a bit better. For once, things were finally looking up. Even Lance was in a good mood… of course, that probably had more to do with all of those lovely alien girls he got to take selfies with.

Sadly, their earlier concerns came crumbling back when Hunk said that all the leaders wanted to see Voltron, except they didn't have the weapon at the moment.

"Or Shiro." Keith pointed out. Despite everyone's attempts, eventually the paladins started focusing more on freeing the planets and for Pidge finding her family. Allura and Keith, as it seems, were the only two who still kept the eldest paladin in their minds.

Allura placed her hand over Keith's, the two once again siting side by side while the other paladins were spread around them. She really hated having to say this, but…

"Keith. You know I haven't given up on Shiro." she began, already feeling her heart drop at what she was about to say. "But, given the circumstances, maybe… maybe it's time we consider finding a new pilot for the Black Lion."

Keith's eyes snapped open. "What?"

"It's just, we can't keep waiting around for him to appear. We need to think about what's best for the fate of the universe."

"Shiro is the Black Paladin!" Keith snapped, his anger and his fears taking hold before he could stop. "How can we replace him?"

"You think I like this idea?!" Allura snapped as well, enough to pull Keith back to his senses. His eyes softened and Allura took in a deep breath. "Sorry, I--"

"No, no. I'm the one who should be apologizing." Keith held her hands close. "It's just… Shiro was the first person who never gave up on me. I won't give up on him."

"I know exactly how you feel, believe me. And like I said, I haven't given up on him either. I'm sure we'll find him. But, you know as well as I do if he were here, he'd be telling us to keep fighting no matter what. Our mission is bigger than any one individual. Even those who are… completely irreplaceable."

Allura's gaze met the floor, remembering her father. The original Red Paladin. Keith gently cupped her face. Even though he felt honored to take the mantel of her deceased father, he knew he could never fully take his place. Looking at everyone else, neither of them wanted to replace Shiro. They had all grown so close, so the idea of a new Black Paladin was going to take some getting used to.

"I know you're right." Keith said, hugging Allura close. He meant those words. As sad, and hard as it was to admit, they couldn't wait around for Shiro forever. They had to think about the mission. It's what Shiro would do.

Keith was just thankful that he wasn't alone on this. Out of everyone, Allura was the one who actively fought alongside him in the quest to find Shiro again. She supported his search, and assisted him in everything she could, even while juggling her own duties as princess and rebuilding the coalition. Allura held Keith and comforted him during the first time he thought Shiro had died, and now she was doing the same yet again.

She was always there for him during his grief. He had to be there for her now too.

(~)

Allura was nervous about the dinner, but to her relief and great joy, all of the leaders were delighted to meet her. They complimented the castle, saying it was unlike anything they had lived in during their oppression under Galra rule, and they were so happy to be meeting with such a lovely, and kind-hearted young woman.

Their kind words were all the encouragement she needed. And neither of them said anything about her dress, which as one of her oldest ones and one she often wore in casual days. Then again, their cloths weren't as extravagant either, primarily due to their circumstance. Guess they were all on the same boat, which placed Allura's mind a bit more at ease.

Hunk happily placed a delicious tray of food on the table, which made the leader's mouth droll at how delicious it both smelled and looked. Kolivan stood on the opposite end of the table, informing the leaders about the grand size of the Galra empire but also about the increased signs in rebel activity from within the empire. This gave the leaders a glimmer of hope.

Allura took the lead next, explaining their plan to bring the forces together and increase their numbers in order to defeat the Galra, but they wouldn't be able to do so without the leaders help. They agreed they would fight alongside Voltron.

… and then one of them asked where exactly was Voltron.

All of Allura's fears came spiraling back. Seems today was just a roller coaster. This morning she was a nervous wreck, then Keith gave her words of encouragement and she felt better. Then she had to break the news about finding a new Black Paladin, but the two eventually agreed it was for the best no matter how difficult it was for both of them to accept. Then, the leaders show enthusiasm to join the coalition… only to immediately ask where the giant Robot Warrior was.

Allura kept her composure, but her eyes darted towards Keith by sheer instinct. The Red Paladin had his arms crossed the entire time, but his purple eyes did soften once he looked at her.

"T-The people you see before you are the paladins of Voltron." Allura said, gesturing to the paladins, and praying the leaders didn't catch her stutter. "Together they pilot the mighty lions that form the great warrior."

Even from where he sat, Keith could see small traces of sweat dripping from her forehead when another leader asked if the paladins could form Voltron right now. At this point, the guy was already leaving a bad taste in Keith's mouth. They were really placing them on the spot here.

Allura didn't know how to respond. She had to give them an answer, but what could she say? That they were short one paladin? That they would need to find a new Black Lion? What would that do for the coalition? What would the leaders think or say?

Keith took in a deep breath, trying to ease him growing impatience. He hatted lying to people, and the last thing he wanted was to make things worse. Everything was falling apart. Shiro was missing, they couldn't for Voltron, they had the opportunity to great an army of their own, but everyone kept placing their attention on Voltron. Did they not have faith in their own strength as well?

He didn't know how it happened, but the next thing Keith knew, he rose from his chair, slammed his fists onto the table, and snapped.

"We can't form Voltron, okay!? We can fly the lions, but Voltron is not happening!"

His voice boomed, bouncing off the metallic walls. A looming silence quickly followed. Allura shot him a look. Just what was he doing? She knew he was still upset about Shiro, but this attitude was really uncalled for.

She had to step in. "What he means is, _right now _they can't form Voltron but--"

"What do you mean they can't form Voltron?" Another leader asked. "Did something happen?"

Keith had to clench his fists tightly to keep himself from blowing up again. Allura was already giving him a glare, so he knew he had already blew it big time. He wanted so badly to slap himself for his anger.

"The lion's are still a substantial fighting force." Kolivan intervened, already seeing the tension between the paladins and leaders… and the young couple.

"And this castle is also a considerable weapon. The Blade of Marmora can lead you."

"My people have been enslaved for centuries by soldiers that look exactly like you." said a female purple skinned leader with four eyes, no mouth and an electronic sounding voice.

"Yes, our people have heard the legend of Voltron, how he defeated Zarkon. That is what gave them hope. What are we supposed to tell them now?"

"That the fight isn't over!" Keith snapped again, this time catching everyone by surprise in a different way. Keith took on a deep breath before continuing. "I know you've all heard stories of Voltron, and I understand he's become the reason you believe you can fight again."

Much to the other paladin's surprise, Keith's voice became more… leveled. Sure, there was still traces of anger, but he was trying to simmer it down as best he could. He turned to Allura, remembering how anxious she was earlier this morning. This whole thing was just as hard on her as it was for him. He may have messed up now, but he could make it up to her. To everyone here.

"We will form Voltron when the time is necessary. But that doesn't mean you should expect a giant weapon to solve all your problems."

Lance turned towards Pidge, Hunk and Coran, all of which stared dumbfounded at Keith's sudden self control. Without asking, or thinking, he took Allura's hand in his, and continued speaking to the leaders.

"Princess Allura is the reason we all came together in the first place. She was the one who made us believe we had what it takes to become paladins of Voltron. It was our teamwork that made it possible. Now, we need you to make this coalition possible."

Allura summoned all of her willpower to keep herself from tearing up. She stood right beside Keith, both radiating with an aura of leadership that made the leaders stare at them in awe. Such young people, yet such strong spirits they carried.

Allura spoke next, her confidence now at an all time high. "Believe me, I understand better than anyone how it feels to loose so much at the hands of the Galra Empire, and I know how frightening it can be to fight back. But my father, King Alfor, believed in the strength of one unit. Of many becoming one. Voltron may be a testament to that, but it is the fighting spirit of the paladins that gives it it's strength. Just as it is the unification of the coalition that will ultimately defeat the Galra Empire once and for all. Will you fight alongside us, and free the universe from this plague of destruction and oppression?"

The room became silent again. Hunk was literally only seconds away from bitting into his nails. After a moment of hesitation, the leaders all rose from their chairs. The young couple's eyes flashed with worry until they all bowed their heads in respect.

"We will join Voltron in the fight against the Galra." said the shortest leader, who only a moment ago had been shivering at the mere mention of the word 'Galra'.

"Indeed." said the purple female alien leader. "It is clear that the true power of Voltron is not the weapon itself… but your own spirit."

Allura let out a silent sigh and smiled at Keith, who still looked apologetic over the little episode he gave earlier. Don't think he wasn't tempted to tell everyone the reality that they didn't have a Black Paladin, because he most certainly was, and it annoyed him that they seemed to miss the whole purpose of Voltron. Seeing it as a shinny machine that would solve all their problems rather than what it really symbolized.

But after everything Allura had done to try and help Keith with dealing with the absence of Shiro, he couldn't let her meeting with the leaders go array. So, he swallowed his anger as best he could, and focused on what really mattered right now.

Getting these people to join the fight, and also remind Allura that Voltron really was more than just a weapon, and that she too had the strength to inspire others just as she had inspired him.

The leaders all applauded for the paladins, and Allura decided to just throw all diplomacy to the wind and hug Keith, while laughing joyously. The Red Paladin returned the embrace, feeling a bit more at ease that he managed to not completely mess this up.

The rest of the banquet went along rather smoothly, with everyone enjoying Hunk's cooking. After that, there was not one empty place to be found.

(~)

Allura and the paladins all saw the guests out. Her arm was linked around Keith's. Coran was beaming with pride. They looked so much like King Alfor and his Queen. Both standing side by side, equals in strength and spirit. They had really won over the leaders today.

"Thank you all once again." Allura said.

"And thank you as well for your hospitality, Princess." said a smaller green alien. "You and your husband have truly inspired us."

Both Keith and Allura's faces became reader than the Red Lion itself. The young man scratched the back of his neck nervously while Allura cleared her throat. "Oh, um, well, you see, we're really not married yet."

Keith's eyes widened in surprise. Did she just say yet?

"Oh, my apologies."

"No, it's fine. Thank you, again."

With that, the leaders left the castle, but Keith couldn't stop that small smirk from forming at the corner of his mouth. Allura spotted it and her blush deepened. "That was… quite the speech you gave back there."

"Yeah, after I completely screwed it up the first time." Keith said, earning a light chuckle from the princess. "But really, it was all you. All I did was clear the path."

"Always so modest." Allura said, right before placing a soft kiss on his lips and the two pressed their foreheads together.

"Well, that's one mission down." Keith said, "Now we just have to…"

Allura looked downcast when he couldn't get the words out. "Right."

Lance patted Keith on the back, smiling in reassurance. "Hey, man. We all miss Shiro. I remember what it thrill it was just to meet him for the first time."

"I grew up with my dad and Matt telling stories about him." Pidge said. "He was a legend at our house."

"The guy taught me everything I know about being a pilot." Hunk said. "Which isn't much, but you know."

Keith felt a small sting of guilt ace in his chest. He knew they all missed Shiro, but with everyone else focusing on other things, he thought he and Allura were the only ones truly mourning his absence. Not death, but still. But, as turns out, they were all grieving in their own way. Maybe Keith shouldn't have been so quick to judge, or to believe he was the only one who had developed a close bond with Shiro.

It was rather hard _not_ to grow an attachment to the Black Paladin. He was kind, and brave, and smart and always looking out for the little guys. He was like their older brother who would fight off the biggest, baddest bullies to protect them but also motivated them to be the best they could.

Despite their original one sided rivalry, Lance genuinely did consider Keith a friend at this point. Honestly, there were a lot of things Lance actually admired about him. From his dedication to finding Allura, his natural piloting skills, and even now when he somehow miraculously managed to control his anger to give Allura a confidence boost.

He also may have shamelessly flirted with Allura the first few times they interacted, but now he had come to see what a truly special person she really was. She was brave, selfless, a bit scary sometimes and even kind of intense, but she Keith wasn't wrong when he said she was the reason they were all brought together.

"You're not the only one hurting, man." Lance continued. "We're all right there with you. But you know he would be the first one to tell us we have to move on."

His words weren't so different from Allura's. Albeit, maybe a bit more straightforward in comparison, but Keith knew he, and the others were right. Allura tightened her grip on his hand, reminding him that, despite what they needed to do, that didn't mean they were saying goodbye to Shiro.

For his sake, Keith would accept this change, but the quest had yet to be finished. He held Allura close, the two turning to the other paladins.

"Alright." Keith finally spoke. "It's time to reform Voltron."

(~)


	21. Chapter 21

Keith took in a deep breath as he stood before Allura's door. He pushed this back long enough, he had to come clean. He rose his fist to knock, only to literally jump up like a scared alley cat when he heard his girlfriend's voice from behind.

"Keith? Everything alright?"

"A-Allura! Phew! You scared me."

"Sorry. Did you want something? You look a little… frazzled."

Keith should have known Allura would be able to see right through his nervousness. He barely slept a wink the night before thinking about how he was going to address this. "I-I need to tell you something but, can we go somewhere private?"

Allura nodded her head and allowed him inside her room. The doors closed behind him. "What's wrong?"

Keith calmed his nerves by breathing heavily. "I know I should have told you this before, and I'll understand if you get upset, but I wasn't sure how to tell you, and you were already dealing a lot with the banquet and Shiro missing, and I'm still not sure if--"

"Keith!" Allura stopped his rambling by gripping his upper arms. She smiled warmly and cupped his left cheek. "Whatever it is, you don't have to be afraid to tell me. You already told me you are half Galra, I highly doubt you can tell me anything else that is more surprising than that."

The young paladin chuckled, his nerves of her getting angry were wavering. Yet, his concerns of what would come afterwards still lingered.

"Okay." he sucked in his lips before continuing. Allura led him to her bed where they sat facing one another. Her hands never once letting go of his. "You remember when Shiro and I were stranded on that alien planet?"

"When you piloted the Black Lion?"

"Yeah. You told me it responded to me as a desperate attempt to save Shiro."

"Well, that was more of a theory, but you didn't want to dwell on it so I let it go."

"That's just it. After that, Shiro…" Keith averted his gaze, looking down at the floor where the mice listened attentively. "He told me something. At first I thought it was the pain talking and he wasn't thinking straight but…" he couldn't get the words out. It was too unbelievable, even in his own mind. It felt more like some crazy impossibility that was worlds, if not dimensions apart from reality.

"What did he tell you?" Allura asked, seeing Keith's hesitation.

"He told me, that if anything happened to him… he wanted me to become the leader of Voltron."

Allura's eyes widened. She was both surprised, yet at the same time… not surprised? It was evident that Shiro had a vast amount of faith in Keith, being close friends, but she could understand Keith's hesitation.

Her boyfriend was known for many things. His impulsiveness and temper, which she knew was aligned with his passionate side. His unrestrained honesty to the point of bluntness. His unwavering kindness and devotion to his loved ones. His hesitation to fully open up to new people, something she learned when they were at the younger days of their newly formed friendship. Yet, while Keith did posses a hard shell, he was also capable of great unconditional love, evident by how far he was willing to go for her.

And, while confident and aware of his talents as a pilot, Keith was never one to boast. He was modest and gave credit when credit was due, even if it was someone like Lance. But, his modestly at times subtly indicated his still lingering, submerged uncertainty in himself, often frightened of the possibility of letting others down.

In Allura's eyes, she has been examples of Keith's capability to be a leader many times, and his growing bond with the paladins helped bring out that side of himself, even if he did still struggle with his temper and impulsiveness, that didn't damper Allura's belief in his potential. Last night at the banquet, Keith stepped up and showcased he could take control of a situation, even after he messed up, and mainly because he was doing it for Allura's sake not her own.

Shiro choosing Keith as his successor made a ton of sense in her mind, but she knew Keith did not share her perspective on the matter.

Allura's silence concerned Keith. Had he made another mistake in waiting this long to tell her? What would she say or think? Would she agree that Shiro was right? Most likely, she was his girlfriend, so she would say so to be supportive. But, would she agree with Keith that he wasn't cut out for the job?

"I know! I know I should have told you that sooner, but I honestly didn't think it would come to that. But, now Shiro's gone and I just--I don't--"

Allura cut him off by placing a soft kiss over his lips. "It's alright. I understand why you didn't tell me right away. And I'm not mad. But, I can't say I agree with you."

"What?"

"You think you won't make a good leader of Voltron, but last night proved otherwise."

"You mean the banquet? All I did was--"

"You told the leaders the truth. You told them we couldn't form Voltron, but not that he was gone. Not to mention, you reminded them that the strength of Voltron doesn't come from the weapon itself, but from its team. You showcased that you have what it takes to take control of a situation." Allura held his hands tight in her own. "And you did rescue me from a tight situation."

Keith felt his cheek heat up. He didn't even think of it that way. He just saw the whole thing as him helping his girlfriend, not as an example that he could be a leader. "Talking to a few leaders is one thing but, leading everyone into a Galra battle?"

"Keith, I've seen the way you take charge, even in small situations. Hunk told me how you managed to pull him back to his senses while you retrieved the scultrite from the Weblum. And when Shiro was down during that last fight with Zarkon, it was you who rallied everyone together to protect him. I understand your hesitation to lead. Believe me, I too was terrified when I had to take up my father's mantel, and I still wrestle with that fear almost every day. But, even so, you reminded me I didn't have to go through it alone. And neither will you during this time. I promise. Whatever happens, we can work through it together just like we always have."

Keith still wasn't entirely convinced all of those moments was proof that he could be a good leader, but regardless of his doubts, a part of him felt relieved to know that he wasn't alone in his uncertainties. Allura understood what it was like to have to follow in someone's footsteps, and the fear of letting them down looming over their heads. He still wasn't sure if he should be the leader, but he was thankful Allura was there to support him. He didn't know what he would do without her.

Kissing her full on the lips and stroking her hair, he sighed in relief. "Thank you."

"So… should we tell the others?"

"I don't know. I was able to pilot the lion once but, who's to say it'll happen again? What if it really was a one time deal?"

"I'm not sure. We'll just have to find out."

(~)

The young couple entered the lounge room, where Coran and the rest of the paladins were spread out on the couch, minus Coran who stood in the center. All eyes fell on Allura and Keith when they entered. Hunk was the first to jump from his seat.

"Allura! Oh, good you're here!"

"Everything alright?" the princess asked with concern.

"We were just talking about how we were going to find a new Black Paladin." Pidge said.

"Yeah, what took you guys so long?" Lance asked, eyeing the two with a frustrated look in his eyes. "Where were you two? Here we are, trying to think of a plan, and you guys were wandering off somewhere!"

Keith opened his mouth to protest, but Allura stopped him by speaking up first, trying to prevent another argument between the two. "What have you come up with so far?" she asked.

Pidge spoke up first. "Well, when we all came here you told me I would fly the Green Lion and I thought there was no way. But then I found it and I flew it, and then Hunk flew the yellow lion and he's not even a pilot. In fact, you told everyone who would pilot which lion."

"Yeah! How did you do that?" Hunk asked, eyes wide with interest, and hope. "Did we ever find out how you did that? Can you do that now?" he asked, giving her big puppy dog eyes.

"Sadly, no." Allura replied. "When you arrived at the castle, I immediately recognized the special qualities in each of you. But, I don't have the power to search the entire universe for a new black paladin."

Allura was careful to leave out the detail of what Keith had just told her. She didn't want to just blurt it out or place Keith on the spot. They agreed to both inform the team together and gently so they wouldn't get any crazy accusations.

Of course, their plans were quickly disrupted when Coran spoke. "Keith, you piloted the Black Lion when you saved Shiro. Perhaps you're the one."

Keith turned his eyes away from the older Altean man. He really didn't feel right about this. Being the Black Paladin? He just wasn't cut out for it, he knew that. Allura may believe he could be a leader, and maybe he could one day, but right now… he just wasn't ready.

"Keith would be the worse leader of Voltron!" Lance said. Keith wanted so much to roll his eyes. Of course Lance would be the first to object to it, but as much as it annoyed Keith to admit it--even to himself--the Blue Paladin was right in a sense. Maybe Keith wouldn't be the "worse" leader ever, but he certainly wouldn't be the ideal one.

"Yeah, we all have our thing." Pidge said, motioning to each team member as they voiced their individual qualities. "Keith's the loner, I'm the brain, Hunk's the nice guy, Allura is the decision maker, Coran is the wise old guy, and Lance is the goofball."

"Yeah, totally, I-- Wait a minute!"

Allura had to suck in her lips to keep herself from laughing. Lance was fully on board with what Pidge said a moment ago, only to come to the realization of her words a little too late. It was downright amusing to see.

"I'm not the goofball! I'm like the cool ninja sharp shooter!"

Keith was the first to chuckle. "You joking?"

Clearly, Lance did not take likely to that comment and rose from his seat, his anger fuming. His face was slowly turning red like a tomato while pointing a finger at Keith. "I'm being completely serious when I say I don't want you to lead me anywhere!"

"I don't want to be the leader, that's just what Shiro wanted!"

And just like that, they could throw all possibility of laying the news gently out the window. More like, shooting it out the window at lightning speed until it crashed into a nearby asteroid and blew up to smithereens.

This is exactly why Keith didn't believe he was capable of being a leader. He lashed out and acted before thinking, just like the banquet. Sure, he fixed it, but who's to say he would get lucky again?

Allura didn't look mad, rather just as disappointed and saddened as Keith was. He recoiled and timidly turned his eyes away from everyone else. Allura placed a hand on his shoulder in in silent comfort.

"What are you talking about?" Hunk asked, eyes the size of diner plates while the others looked confused and or startled.

"Shiro wanted you to be his successor, didn't he?" Pidge concluded. Keith didn't respond. They already knew the truth, so what was the point of even explaining it to them?

Lance felt both shocked, yet at the same time unimpressed. Of course, Shiro would place Keith--his literal right hand man--to lead the team. Only, why Keith? He was short tempered, reckless, not to mention has very little to no experience leading anyone or anything. This was the same guy who's been considered a social outcast from nearly everyone at the Garrison, despite his natural piloting skills. He rarely talked to anyone, save for Shiro, and he's lived as a hermit for an entire year after Shiro disappeared after the Kerberos mission.

The guy knew how to work on his own, so why place him in charge? Anyone could have made a better leader than Keith.

"Well I never heard Shiro say that, and how convenient that you're bring it up now when Shiro is gone."

Oh, so now Lance was accusing Keith of intentionally trying to take Shiro's place? Honestly, the nerve of this guy just infuriated Keith to no end sometimes. He never asked to become Shiro's successor, he just outright stated it out loud not two minutes ago! He could understand why Lance would be hesitant to let Keith lead, but that was just a low blow. The very last thing Keith would ever want is to replace Shiro.

"You want the job so badly, you can have it!" Keith exclaimed in anger, his hands clenching into fists.

"Hang on! I called the head from the very beginning!" Hunk said.

"What about me?" Pidge exclaimed, also raising from her seat. "I was the one who picked up on the radio waves that led us to Voltron in the first place!"

Coran stepped in, ceasing the arguing. "Hold your gazugas everyone! It's not our decision to make. We must allow the lion to decide."

Keith felt a little bit better. No matter what Shiro said, it wouldn't matter unless it was the lion's wish. He was fully on board with this. He turned to Allura, nodding his head in agreement. Let the others take a turn at seeing who else the Black Lion chooses.

Allura picked up on his silent signal and nodded as well. "Coran is right." she said to the others. "We must all present ourselves to the Black Lion, to see who will bear this glorious burden."

"Wait, you too Allura?" Keith asked in surprise.

"My father created Voltron. How can I allow other to risk their lives in battle and not be prepared to do so myself?"

"But, won't you be needed to pilot the castle?"

"Only to create wormholes. Coran is more than capable of piloting the castle without my help. I must try."

Keith was surprised by her decision, but didn't debate on it further. If she believed she needed to do this, then he would support her. Besides, if there was anyone he believed was worthy to lead this team in a way that would make Shiro proud…

It would be Allura.

(~)

One by one, the paladins and princess all entered the Black Lion. Seeing its lifeless body spread out on the cold floor of the hangar was still a distressing sight. It served as a constant reminder that Shiro was still gone.

Allura was the first to go in. Keith gave her a peck on the cheek for good luck. Once inside, Allura focused on bonding with the lion, but she didn't feel anything. No spark, no tingling feeling, no nothing. After a few minutes, the princess emerged, simply shrugging her shoulders, accepting the fact that she wasn't meant to lead Voltron herself.

She wasn't disappointed, for she still held onto the possibly of Keith being the one to lead. But, even if by chance the lion choose someone else, she wouldn't be upset. She really didn't care much on whether or not she were the one to form the head, just so long as Voltron would be formed again. The team was more important than any need for glory in her eyes.

Pidge was next, and just like with Allura, she didn't feel any connection. Unlike the green lion, the seat and controls were built more for someone taller, so the poor thing couldn't even reach the controls, even if she sat on her helmet.

Hunk tried next, but he only lasted two minutes. As for Lance… he lasted far longer. The others questioned this, but once the Blue Paladin came out, he wore a pouty expression, his arms folded and they could practically see the team coming out of his ears.

"It's useless! The Black Lion hates all of us!"

It was then, all eyes landed on the last remaining paladin. Neither Pidge, nor Hunk dared to say a word. They honestly didn't know what to say to encourage Keith to try, but thankfully, Allura did.

"Keith, the black lion hasn't responded to any of us. You have to try."

Every time a new paladin entered the lion, Keith prayed incessantly in his head to please, please, pleas let this paladin be the one. He was even hoping Lance, of all people, would be chosen instead of him. But, it would appear that fate had woven its tapestry into Keith's less than ideal vision of these events. 

Allura kissed his cheek, just as he had done for her when she tried to bond with the lion, and he took a tentative step forward. Entering the now lifeless lion send a chill up his spine and into his chest, making it heavy. It grew heavier when he sat down on the chair.

Shiro's chair. Whether he was here or not, this was still Shiro's chair. This was still his lion, no matter who sat inside of it. Keith didn't feel right doing this. He felt he was trying to fill a void that could never be filled, even by himself.

Was this how Allura felt when she had to take on the mantel of her father? To be placed in a role of great responsibility at the expense of loosing someone they love and looked up to for guidance and wisdom. To have to become the one responsible for the well being of others without having them beside you to say whether or not you're doing this right? To have to learn on your own? To fail and have to get back up on your own, with nothing but their memory to guide you?

It was a great burden, as well as a lonely for some. Not because they wouldn't have other people around them, they both had that… but they knew none of the other paladins could ever fully comprehend this kind of heaviness this new role came with.

_That_ is what makes a job like this so lonely. Knowing not everyone could understand what it was like unless they lived it themselves.

"I know you wanted this for me Shiro." Keith took the controls, his hand hovering over them before his fingers gripped them tightly. "But I'm not you. I can't lead them like you."

Closing his eyes, Keith's mind flooded with memories of his old friend. With each moment that flashed, he knew in his gut that only Shiro could ever be the leader of Voltron. Keith just… wasn't.

How could he possibly lead this team? How could he expect them to have faith in him when he didn't even have faith in himself? He didn't ask for this. All he wanted was to help save the universe from Zarkon's reign. To free these innocent planets, to spare anymore lives from getting killed, to prevent families from being separated from one another.

Just as he had been separated from his. That was what he wanted. What he and Allura wanted. What Shiro wanted, what the paladins wanted, what everyone in the universe wanted.

A faint light penetrated his closed eyelids and in a flash they opened. The cold dark room suddenly became warmer, the sound of a lion's growl was muffled in Keith's ears. Just like the red lion, they were wordless, yet he comprehended every word.

The computer screen buzzed with life and the room was lit with its famous purple glow. Keith's hand trembled. What was happening? How did he do this? What did he do to make this happen? He wasn't asking for it like last time! Why was the lion responding to him after he just outright said he couldn't do this?

"Please, no!" he begged, his voice cracking. He closed his eyes again, praying the lion would shut off, but it would seem that every desperate attempt he made to get the lion to stop only further cemented its final decision.

From outside, the lion's neon blue lights returned and the creature stood back on its four legs, releasing a proud roar that shook the entire castle. The majestic beast looked more radiant and majestic than it ever did. Allura could only imagine what could be going on through Keith's mind as this occurred, but she couldn't deny the part of herself that swelled up with pride.

The lion lowered its head, its mouth opened wide and Keith stepped out. As expected, he wasn't at all too thrilled with what just happened. If anything, he looked downright irritated.

Hunk, Pidge and Coran were silently happy for him. Seeing the Black Lion up and about again gave them hope that things were going to work out somehow. As for Lance… as if being rejected by the black lion, and being deprived the chance to prove he was more than just the goofball wasn't humiliating enough, once again, it was the talented Keith who got chosen to become the leader.

As disappointing as it was, also seeing the equally disappointed, and no doubt pained look on Keith's face, made Lance realize he had allowed his insecurities to get the better of him again. If the mystical thousand year old robot lion had chosen a loner rebel to be the leader and not the eager to please Lance, then… maybe there was a reason for it. Besides, what was more important? His need to be somebody, or the team? If this is what it took to get Voltron back then so be it.

Allura was the first to approach the newly appointed black paladin. "I'm proud of you, Keith." she said, and she really meant it. "I wish you were getting the job under better circumstances, but congratulations."

She kissed his cheek and wrapped her arms around his neck, and despite his still lingering disappointment, he returned the hug by wrapping his arms around her waist. Pidge and Hunk both shared their happiness for Keith, minus Lance. Though, it was very difficult to apreciate their support, and Allura's hug when the undeniable truth still remained.

"No. I don't accept this."

Allura knew this was coming. Never the less, there was no questioning the lion's choice. "Keith, I understand this is difficult to accept, but the black lion has chosen you for a reason."

"I can't replace Shiro! You guys were right, I'm the loner. I'm not the leader Shiro thought I was."

"Yes you are." Allura insisted. "And you're not just "the loner", you are capable of so much more than you think."

"How can I lead this team into battle if I can't even control my own anger?"

"Don't forget, my father was once pilot of the Red Lion as well, and he led his people valiantly. But, even he didn't start out that way. He grew into his role, just as he believed I could." she said as she cupped his face. "Just as I know you can too."

"Allura's right." Lance said, finally speaking up after moments of silence. "Besides, no one is asking you to replace Shiro, but the black lion wouldn't choose anybody it didn't feel was worthy to lead Voltron. I respect it's choice. You should too."

So, everyone--even Lance, surprisingly-- all were willing to accept Keith as the new leader while he still wasn't sure of it himself? Was it possible that those small moments really did indicate his capacity to be a leader? He certainly didn't feel like one, and all those times in which he did take charge it was only because he was trying to defend those he cared about.

Which, now that he thought about it, how was it any different from how Shiro lead them? Or how Allura led them? Only, is leading by simply caring for the well being of others enough? He would need to make tough decisions that benefited everyone, and give encouragement when they were down, and…

Wait. Hadn't he done that before? Specially, with Allura? But, he was her boyfriend, offering words of encouragement was a given. There was that time at the Balmara, when he empathized with Hunk's thrive to save Shay and her people and gave words of encouragement without sugarcoating the reality of things. Keith was the guy who found and fell in love with an alien princess in an astral plane so he was not one to doubt defying the impossible. Then there was that conversation he had with Lance after the incident with Nyma, and Lance actually listened.

Was it possible he could be a leader. Maybe not a perfect one, and certainly not forever but, enough to keep them afloat until Shiro came back?

Maybe. If everyone else was willing to give him a shot, maybe Keith should give himself a chance too?

"But who's gonna fly the red lion?" he asked. That was still one last issue to resolve. With Keith in black, who would take red?

"Well… I suppose… I could try." Allura suggested, her tone a mixture of uncertainty and hopefulness. "Like I said, it was my father's lion, and while we were lost in space it managed to find us when I used my quintessence to amplify your bond, so… maybe…"

In all honesty, Keith was more than happy to let Allura fly red. After all, if there was anyone he trusted his lion with it more than anyone in the universe it was her. It's the lion that shared the most personal link to her family, and he was honored to have flown it. He could think of no one more deserving of it than her.

"That's perfect!" Keith said, his earlier gloomy responce to the black lion's choice already fading. "You'll fly Red, I'll fly Black, and we'll have Voltron working again!"

"And you'll get to be a paladin!" Pidge said, equally excited. It would be nice to have another female pilot on the team.

"I still have to try." Allura said, easing her possible excitement and tried to be more somber. "The lion is the one who needs to choose whether or not I'm worthy."

"Of course you are." Keith said, tucking a stray strand of hair behind her pointed ear, his thumb caressing one of the pink markings on her face. "Besides, you'll look good in red."

Allura giggled at his casual flirting. A sure sign he was feeling a little more confident in himself, even if just a tad. Besides, if the Red lion did allow her to pilot it, then she would be Keith's right hand. They would be working together on the field, and she would be a part of Voltron.

The memory from when she experienced their formation first hand was one of the most unforgettable sensations she had ever experienced. Maybe it was a bit of a selfish desire, but she most certainly would love to be a part of that again. And to fight alongside Keith, literally side by side rather than him out there and her in the castle half the time, it was just all just too perfect.

(~)

Once Allura sat on the chair of the red lion, her heart felt heavy. Her father once sat in this chair. Sometimes Allura would sit on his lap and watch as her father piloted the creature as if it were a part of his very being. The experience made Allura fall in love with the idea of flying. Of having adventures like her father.

Even though Keith had flown it, both he and Allura never lost sight that the lion would always, in a sense, be Alfor's. He was the original red paladin, and no doubt the lion had chosen a very worthy successor.

Was this how Keith felt when he entered the black lion? To be seated in the same spot as the one person she admired and thrived to be? The person she missed every single day, and the person who she had wished were still with her? To guide her and offer her advice whenever she was in doubt?

She understood she could never replace her father, but just as Keith was chosen to cary on Shiro's right, she was more than ready to carry her father's.

Allura took in a deep breath. "Hello, Red." she said, speaking to it as if it were an old family friend. Which, in a way, it was. "It's been a while since I've been in here. This… may be difficult for you to hear but with Shiro missing the Black Lion has chosen Keith to be its new paladin. At least, for the time being until we find Shiro."

Silence filled the room. Her concerns grew.

"I know the change is sudden, but I'm sure you and the other lions understand the stakes of our mission. So, I came here to ask if you will allow me to pilot you."

She gripped the controls, closing her eyes, hoping to feel something between her and the mechanical beast. "I want to carry on my father's fight, but I need your help. Allow me to follow in his footsteps as your paladin."

Allura waited patiently for the beast to respond but, much to her fearful dismay, she felt a hollow silence penetrate through her heart. It was the same disconnection she felt when inside the Black Lion, only while it didn't bother her as much then, now it felt like a direct spear through the heart.

Was she not worthy to fly the red lion? Had she not the qualities it required? She suspected she didn't fit to the proper description that she original explained about the red lion when the paladins first arrived. Keith was no doubt a better fit, but if the Black Lion could choose him then maybe there was more to their reasoning than she originally thought.

She didn't doubt the decision of the lions. Their paladins were chosen for a reason, even if it wasn't always crystal clear. Had she hoped too high for the chance to fly the red lion? Could it sense she wasn't ready? Had she said something wrong? Had she angered it?

"Please, I must do this!" she pleaded. She couldn't let Voltron down. They needed another paladin in order to form. Couldn't the lion see that? She was trying hard to appease to it, but nothing she said, or did, or even felt, seemed enough.

"Others are risking their lives in this fight and I can't continue to--" Allura stopped herself. Her heart even heavier and the silence engulfed her like a black hole.

There was no denying the truth. The red lion--her father's lion--Keith's lion--had rejected her.

The pain was indescribable. To be turned down by the lion once owned by her own father felt just as painful as when her father was stripped away from her. She wanted to be angry with the lion, but she knew it was futile. If it didn't choose her then, maybe she just wasn't cut out to pilot the lion.

Not cut out to be a paladin.

And Keith, with his new role as the leader she didn't want to let him down. He was always there to not only encourage her, but to remind her to keep on fighting no matter what. She wanted to do the same for him.

Maybe that's all she was supposed to be. Be mission control, the one to open up wormholes, offer support from the sidelines, and be a political figurehead when needed.

Tears cascaded from her eyes, her shoulders trembling and teeth clenching. Despite the darkness, she heard a very faint purring sound. It was similar to when she had ridden with Keith, only the unspoken words said didn't make her feel any better.

"_**I'm sorry…**_" it said. "_**You will soon understand why it must be like this…**_"

(~)

Allura stepped into the lounge room and all heads looked up at her. If they thought Keith's melancholy responce to the Black Lion was hard to look at, the princess's look was akin to a small child who just discovered their parents perished in a car accident.

Keith was the first to approach her. He didn't need to read between the lines to understand what had happened. He was just as disappointed as she was, but more angry than anything.

Why didn't red choose her? What was the problem? Was it because she wasn't a reckless, hot-head like he was? Okay, she could be scary and dauntless at times, all for the greater good of course, and maybe she wasn't as much of a wild card as Keith was in terms of piloting, but if the Black Lion--who was said to choose someone who was in control at all times-- could somehow make an exception, why couldn't Red?

"I'm sorry, Princess." Coran said. "I know how much you wanted to pilot the red lion."

Keith tried his hardest not to let his frustration rise up. "If you want, I can maybe have a talk with Red and--"

"It's alright, Keith." Allura insisted, smiling in reassurance. But it was a very weak smile, and her eyes still looked drained, loosing their natural shimmer. "I'll be fine. Let's move on, we must find a new paladin… again."

The paladins discussed possible candidates for a new red paladin, specifically from the planets they had already visited. Their talk would need to be placed on hold for the now when one of the leaders from the previous night called on them, desperately asking for their help. Allura assured him the lions would arrive as soon as possible, deliberately leaving out the part about there still being only four lions. They managed to get through this far with only four, hopefully they would have the same luck as before without needing the giant warrior.

The paladins each left to their respected hangars, with Keith instinctively going for the red one. They still hadn't found another paladin yet, so maybe he could just pilot red until they found someone else? The reluctantly realistic side of him was telling him 'no'.

He stopped and turned when Allura called his name. "The Black Lion has chosen you. You can do this." she smiled lovingly. There wasn't a shred of doubt to be found in her eyes or body language.

Her words, along with his rational side, quickly won over his own uncertainty and Keith stepped into the platform which would take him to the Black Lion. He didn't think he deserved this honor, but the lion had made it's decision. Even if Keith didn't fully comprehend why it would choose him, for the team's sake--for Shiro's--he would do this.

"This one's for you, Shiro." he said as he took the controls and flew the lion out the castle alongside the others. He hoped he wouldn't mess this up. Once they were out in open space, Keith took in a deep breath and repeated the same mantra over and over again in his mind.

"_I can do this. I can do this. I can do this… I hope I can do this_."

"Alright guys, we're not about to let the Galra take back this planet, so follow me." Even right after he said those words out loud he knew it didn't sound one hundred percent like himself. He already feared he was trying to hard, and they hadn't even reached the planet yet.

"Wait, where's Lance?" Pidge asked.

"What?"

Keith looked to both sides of his windows. He only saw Hunk and Pidge's lions, but Lance was nowhere to be found. He reached out to him through the communication on his dashboard.

"Lance, where are you?" Keith asked, more concerned than anything. Concerned as to why he was taking so long, and concerned… well, in general about the whole thing. He wasn't normally the type to get nervous--or show it--but right now there was so much at stake he couldn't risk anything going array.

"My lion's not responding to me!" Lance cried out in exasperation. Keith blinked in confusion. What did he mean it wasn't responding?

This was just fantastic. First day on the job as the Black Paladin and already things were going wrong.

"Well figure it out and catch up with us as soon as you can!"

Just as they were nearing the planet, a bright purple flash appeared, nearly blinding them, and a ship, one they had never seen before, emerged from the beam. Judging by the purple glow, and the ship's dark shades with dark blue assets, it was painfully obvious this ship was Galra.

Only, why did it come to them? And why was there only one ship? They barely touched the planet, and yet these guys just showed up like they were… expecting them?

A voice was heard through their intercommunications. A voice they had never heard before, but from their perspective it sounded like a young British young man. Just from the sound of his voice alone they knew he exuded charm and commanded respect. But the thing that paralyzed the paladins even more was exactly who he said he was….

Prince Lotor… the son of Zarkon!

So many questions ran through their minds right now. Zarkon was down for the count and his son. A son! Whoever the mother was they immediately felt pity for her. Unless, he was adopted but Zarkon didn't strike them as the type who would ever want to have kids, unless this Lotor guy was nothing more than a replacement he had groomed to become his successor if the time ever came and there really wasn't any form of affinity between them. Just a twisted dark mentor/dark apprentice type of deal with "father" and "son" being merely a form of tittles.

Yeah, that sounded about right.

But they had bigger problems then trying to understand Zarkon's twisted family tree. This whole thing had been a trap! One of the leaders actually helped in leading the paladins into a false rescue mission in order to capture them.

Keith immediately started barking orders, mainly without thinking. His survival instincts just kicked in and the three lions attempted to fend off the fleet that came at them. They had them outnumbered three to ten, maybe even fifteen or seventeen.

And more were coming at them. Pidge kept on shooting and maneuvering, with Hunk swooping in to protect her using his lion's hard armor, hoping it would hold up long enough.

Meanwhile, Keith was struggling to fly his new lion. This large cat wasn't as fast, or even as nimble as the red lion, it was like trying to fight underwater against a powerful current. He called out to the others for help, but the three of them just weren't going to be enough for this ever growing fleet.

Allura and Coran witnessed the events unfold from their screen. The lions were struggling and Lance was nowhere in sight. Allura hurried to the hangar to see what was keeping him.

"Lance, what's wrong?" she asked. Lance was standing right in front of his lion, which had its particle barrier up, denying him access.

"I don't know, Blue is shutting me out!" Lance's eyes dropped. "Maybe Pidge was right. I am just the goofball. Not only am I not meant to be the leader, I guess… I guess now I'm not even meant to be a paladin."

Allura was just about to tell him how absurd that was. Of course Lance was meant to be a paladin. The Blue lion never would have chosen him if he wasn't. She never got the chance to really tell him however, for the roar that came from the hangar not too far away beat her to the punch.

Both Lance and Allura turned their heads, the roar echoing within the walls of the castle. Allura recognized that roar and her eyes widened.

"So, this is why…" the pieces came together in her mind almost at the speed of light. It all made sense now. This was why the blue lion wasn't responding to Lance. Maybe Keith wasn't the only one who needed to switch lions today. Maybe this was all part of the lions's attempt all along.

"It's the Red Lion! You must go to it!"

"No way! Keith probably trained it to bite my head off!" Lance said, folding his arms in protest. His eyes softened for a moment. "Maybe it's roaring for you."

Allura knew Lance was only trying to help her, and no doubt him going to the red lion wasn't something he had originally planned, or wanted either. But, one of the many things Allura had learned throughout this adventure it's that not everything goes the way you plan, or even desire. She hoped to fly the red lion, but she knew in her heart it was not meant to be. Recalling the moment Keith was chosen as the black paladin made it all clear for her.

"I would love nothing more than for that to be true, but I know the red lion is not meant for me. It is choosing you."

"I don't understand."

It still baffled her sometimes that, after all this time, there are still moments where Allura needed to be reminded that these paladins were still young, much like herself. Trying to find themselves while simultaneously dealing with a war.

As annoying as Lance cold be at times, Allura did consider him a loyal and true friend. He needed to be reminded that he was just as important to this team as anyone else.

"My father built Voltron, but he knew Zarkon was a better leader in battle so he became Voltron's right hand." she placed a supportive hand on his shoulder. "Lance, when you accepted Keith as the new leader of Voltron it proved that you value a strong team over your own need for glory… just like my father."

Allura's eyes darted to the side. Even speaking of Alfor made her feel she'd be on the brink of tears.

Lance was still unsure of this, but he knew he should believe Allura's words. She was willing to accept the red lion's rejection for the sake of the universe, and Keith was out there on the black lion despite his own hesitation. It was still confusing as to why the lions would want to switch paladins all of a sudden, but maybe they knew more than he did.

His time with Blue allowed him to see just how mysterious and wise these lions could be. The blue lion gave him a purpose, a chance to become something bigger than himself. In a way, it cared for him like a mother would. And, like any mother, she understood when it was time for him to leave the nest.

Lance had made up his mind. "I won't let him down." he said.

Allura nodded. "Go."

Lance hurried to the second hangar, but looked over his shoulder to take at least one last look at the blue lion. He felt he was saying farewell to an old friend. Still, if this is what needed to be done, then so be it.

Once he was gone, Allura was just about to head back to the control room… where she belonged, it would seem. At least Lance would arrive shortly and help the others. Maybe with four they'll have more luck.

The princess came to an abrupt halt when she heard the particle barrier around the lion disappeared. Allura stared in confusion. Why did the lion just now stopped being stubborn? Should she call Lance and say his lion had finally decided to cooperate? Was this some kind of joke on their part?

The mechanical beast hummed to life and a soft, welcoming roar rang in Allura's ears. There were no words, and yet she comprehended what it was saying flawlessly. A strange sensation filled up within her, like electricity dancing on her muscles yet she felt no pain, rather comfort.

The red lion's words replayed in her mind. She now understood why it denied her, not because it didn't care, but because it cared enough to understand what she was supposed to do.

The princess smiled and the lion roared softly once more. "_**Hop on, Princess!**_"

(~)

"Keith, what should we do?" Hunk asked.

"We need to attack the ship!"

"Could you be more specific?" Pidge said, her voice higher than normal. A sure sign that she was already at the end of her rope with these guys. "We need an actual plan!"

How more specific could that have been? Attack the ship, how hard was that? Or, was Keith supposed to give a detailed description on how to attack it? Which side of it they should hit? The weak spot? Which was the weak spot?

His mind was going round and round that he was completely thrown off by one of the beams of the ship when he got closer. Pidge cried out his name, asking if he was alright.

In all honesty, no. No, Keith was not alright. They were dangerously outnumbered, Keith was struggling to give proper instructions, and, oh yeah, he couldn't fly this quiznacking lion like he was supposed to! He felt like those high school sophomores taking their driving test for the first time, and failing at it miserably!

No. No, now was not the time to get angry. He had to keep his head on straight. He had to try and calm his nerves and focus.

"I'm fine, but we can't fight this guy alone!"

"You won't have to!"

Never in his entire life, or in a million years, was Keith ever happy to hear the blue paladin's annoying voice. But, his relief was immediately overtaken by surprise, mixed with confusion, shock and… just a whole bunch of questions.

Lance wasn't piloting his usual lion but… Red?!

Lance was piloting the Red Lion?! Keith's lion?! Lance?! How?! When?! Wh--Keith quickly stopped himself, there would be time for questions later. Still, the actual reality that Lance was piloting his former lion was… a very odd feeling to say the least.

Even more surprising… he was actually good at flying it. Well, for the most part. He managed to shoot several ships at once and at great speed. But, much like Keith, he too was very new to his lion and started bumping into things. Well, at least Keith felt a little bit better about himself, but also worried Lance might scratch the lion.

Even if he wasn't piloting anymore, Keith still held the lion in high regards. It was once flown by Allura's father, it was basically a family heirloom.

"Hey, be careful with red!"

"Oh, fly your own lion, Keith!" Lance snapped back, only to get a taste of his own medicine when one of the ships bumped into him, sending the new red paladin spiraling through space in front of the others.

"I meant to do that!"

"Wow, we're really kind of a mess!" Pidge pointed out. "We need to get organized. Keith, what should we do?"

At first, he was touched that they were willing to give him a chance as a leader, but man, were they really placing him on the spot here!

"I don't know!" he confessed. "We need to form Voltron but we're short a lion!"

"Not anymore!"

Keith turned his head to the voice that suddenly came through. Then, his jaw literally dropped when the blue lion came shooting out of the Castle….

With Allura piloting it!

So, the red lion rejected Allura in favor of Lance, it would seem, and when the blue lion was rejecting Lance, it was to give way for Allura to pilot it?

Keith had even more questions than before, but truthfully, he was just as happy about the reveal as Pidge and Hunk were. They were literally cheering for her, while Keith couldn't stop the smile that formed on his face.

Allura was a paladin now! He couldn't be more proud.

Sadly, that sense of pride was met with even more worry. Allura was a paladin now, and Lance had taken Keith's place as the red paladin, while he was still the new leader. A leader who couldn't even give a proper order right.

As if things couldn't get even more surprising, Lotor and his fleet just decided to up and leave. Everyone else was happy about it, but Keith kept his glare on the ship which flew at warp speed.

"Allura, you and the blue lion? How cool is that?" Pidge said ecstatically.

"Yes, it was a bit of a surprise, but a happy one."

Keith contacted her through the controls, seeing her happy smile on the screen. It was contagious, making Keith smile along. "Well, it's not Red, but at least it matches your eyes."

Allura couldn't help but giggle at the compliment. The moment was tainted when Lance groaned out loud. "Look, you guys are adorable and all, but all of this flirting while on the job is gonna give me a cavity."

Keith ignored his comment and got back to the present matter at hand. "Now we know that Zarkon has a son."

Allura's eyes widened. "This is… deeply disturbing." she said. She wasn't sure which part was more disturbing. That they now had a new Galra leader to deal with after all the struggle they went through with taking down the first one… or the fact that someone actually had a kid with Zarkon.

"We need to find out more. Let's head back to the castle."

After a battle like that, getting to rest back inside the safe walls of the castle ship was like Christmas vacation for the paladins. Once they had arrived, Hunk and Pidge were bombarding Lance with questions about how he got to pilot the red lion. Naturally, he was more than happy to boast about it, most likely an attempt to lighten the mood after all of that madness.

Keith stepped a few feet away, exiting the black lion, where Allura greeted him a with hug. "Isn't it wonderful? Now we know we can form Voltron again!" Allura said with renewed enthusiasm. It would seem piloting the blue lion got her pumped up and ready for the next fight already.

"Yeah." Keith wanted to feel as excited as she did, but all this battle did was reassure him that he had absolutely no idea what he was doing.

Seeing his distress, Allura simmered down her joy and comforted her boyfriend. "I know this wasn't the most… ideal first day on the job, but we'll get there."

Keith ran his hand through his dark locks, his eyes looking drained from everything that had happened. "I know. I'm just tired."

Tired was an understatement in Keith's case. Disappointed was more like it. Knowing Allura, she would try her best to lift up his spirits and insist he will be a good leader. But Keith really wasn't in the mood for a pep talk right now, not after what he had just been through.

Allura wanted to say words that would make him feel better, but quickly realized she didn't know what to say that she hadn't already said. She couldn't change what happened, and this whole thing no doubt placed a great damper on Keith's self esteem as a leader. It was probably best to just let him be.

Seeing the saddened look on her face made Keith feel a pang of guilt. Here he was, mopping about his own failures that he had nearly missed the fact that his own girlfriend had bonded with the blue lion.

Allura was a paladin now, something she had always hoped for but never really believed it would happen, and accepted it as a fact. She never let it weigh her down, but still. This was something she was happy about, the least Keith could do was be happy for her.

Allura let out a surprised gasp, followed by laughing when Keith scooped her up and spun her around like what those animated Disney couples do in their movies. Once her feet were on the ground again, Keith placed an eager kiss on her lips.

"I'm so proud of you." he said, and he meant it. He was proud of Allura, he was always proud, and he'd be lying if he said he wasn't excited about the notion of him and her being co-paladins from here on out. It didn't matter if she was an arm, or a leg, what mattered was that they would be working side by side from now on, just as they always wanted. Allura couldn't hide her excitement, and Keith didn't want her to.

It was then, Lance walked up to the two of them. He removed his helmet as a form of respect to Keith, who stared at it in surprise.

"I understand you're not all too thrilled about me piloting Red, and I'm not you, but I just want you to know that even if this wasn't what any of us had in mind, I promise, to both of you, I will take good care of him."

Lance outstretched his hand, hoping for Keith to shake it. He was right, this was hard to accept. Giving up red was hard, but then again, it was most likely just as hard for Lance. He was giving up blue to Allura. He was maturely accepting their new roles, but Keith could catch the sadness hidden beneath.

The new black paladin shook Lance's hand firmly. "Just try not to get too many scratches on him, okay?" he said with an amused smile, which helped lift off some of the weight from Lance's shoulders.

Afterwards, everyone settled into their rooms, but Keith never once removed his paladin armor. He was pacing back and forth inside his room, with the space mice sitting on his bed, watching him and squeaking amongst themselves on what they should say to him.

Keith replayed the fight over and over again in his mind. Everything, from their lions, to their formation, their normal fighting routines was all over the place. On top of the fact that their defeat of Zarkon ended up resulting to nothing in the end.

The Galra Empire still had a leader, and a very formidable one at that, one of which they knew nothing about and managed to lure them into a trap with ease. Who knows what this new guy held up his sleeve. They didn't even know Zarkon had a son! Not even the Blade of Marmora knew of him, for if they did they would have alerted them beforehand.

The smart thing to do would be to train first, and then get Lotor. Find out more information about him. Yet, every bone in Keith's body was against it. If he waited, who knew what other schemes this guy would concoct. What if they didn't have time to train? What if this had been the Galra's back up plan all along?

Any time in the past whenever the paladins thought they could catch a breather, BAM! Galra fleets, Zarkon attacks, the works. These guys were no laughing matter, and if Lotor managed to fool them in a way even Zarkon himself never did, it was evident Lotor was not someone to take lightly.

He even fought and schemed differently compared to his so called father. Zarkon was direct and ruthless, but this guy lures them out of hiding and then just up and leaves once all five lions are together? Something didn't feel right, and Keith knew he wouldn't be able to focus on anything else until he figured it out.

Lotor's reign was new, for Zarkon had only been gone for a short while. If they took him down now then the Galra Empire would be short a leader, and if they waited too long to figure out stuff about him then he could use that time to make the Galra army even stronger. They were already vast in numbers, and for all he knew, they could be ready to enslave more planets.

Sleep seemed impossible at this point. He had already failed in leading them the way Shiro had and….

Wait… maybe that was the problem. Maybe Keith was trying too hard to be like Shiro, maybe he just needed to figure out his own way to lead. Well, if there was one thing Keith knew for sure, he wasn't someone who left things halfway.

During the fight, while arguing with Lance about being careful with Red, he had managed to place a tracker on his ship in case they would go after him later. At first, he was hesitant to do so, but after much thought, striking Lotor before he would strike first just felt like the proactive thing to do.

The remote which was linked to the tracker beeped. Lotor was still in the same galaxy as they were. If they left now, then they could still catch him. Maybe at least weaken him so they could have a fighting chance.

He had already lost Shiro three times, he had believed he lost Allura--and the pain of it was something no mere words could ever convey--he wasn't about to loose anyone else now.

They've worked too hard to weaken the Galra Empire. He wasn't about to let all of their efforts go in vein because of some new smooth talking Zarkon wannabe Jr.

(~)

Allura was hoping Keith would be the first to see her new paladin armor, but she ran into Lance in the Blue Lion's hangar while on her way. She managed to catch a few words he told the blue lion. The poor boy, he was really going to miss her, but she still admired his capability to maturely accept things as they were. He really was growing into his own as a paladin. She was proud of him.

The castle hangers always had some extra paladin armors at the ready in case any of the others got damaged. However, while Allura wore the same style as the other paladins, instead of having any color corresponding to the five lions, her's was… different.

"Pink, huh? Not what I was expecting, but I like it." Lance said, not soundly even the least bit flirty when he did. It would seem those days were long behind them now, which was just fine with Allura. It was just another sign that he was maturing.

"Yes. On Altea we wear this color to honor our fallen warriors. I wear it to honor the paladins of old…" her eyes darted to the side, her smile morphing into a frown. "And Shiro."

She still refused to believe he was dead, and in his case it was in honor or his absence, that he was still important to the team.

Lance took out his bayard and handed it to Allura. She almost had to suppress her smile. It was still almost unreal. She was actually a paladin. Maybe she wasn't flying her father's lion like she had hoped, but even so she was still honoring his legacy by being part of Voltron. The princess accepted the weapon, the blue surprisingly not clashing too much with her pink armor.

"If I had to lose Blue to someone, I'm glad it was you."

Allura was both touched, as well as saddened by his words. She vowed to take care of Blue, for now she understood how much he had meant to Lance. Hopefully, he could form as close a bond with Red as well, and she had a feeling the feline would treat Lance well.

"Princess! The Black Lion is leaving the castle!" Coran cried out in terror, startling and confusing the two new paladins.

"Keith, where are you going?" Allura asked. Why was Keith suddenly leaving without telling anyone? Without telling her? This wasn't like him.

"I put a tracker on Lotor's ship. Tell everyone to get their lions, we're going after him." she heard him reply.

What was he planing? Why didn't he tell anyone before? Something wasn't right, Allura knew it. She sense anger in his voice, and it concerned her. His next sentence was what cemented her concerns.

"You wanted me to lead Voltron… this is how I lead


	22. Chapter 22

Once all lions were out of the castle, the newly appointed Blue Paladin stirred her lion closer to the new leader. "Exactly, when were you going to inform me about the tracker?" Allura said sternly. Keith could already feel her blue orbs staring down at him in a way that made him nearly shrink in his seat.

"I know this is unexpected, but I've thought about it and we can't let Lotor slip away. He's the heir to the Galra throne, we can end his reign right now if we act fast."

Allura was about to say something else when she suddenly felt her control over her lion slip away and she collided with the yellow lion's side.

Keith slowed down, his lion's head turning to where Allura had just regained her balance. He heard her grunting from the intercom. "Allura! You okay?"

"Y-Yes, I'm fine. Apologies, Hunk!"

The yellow paladin cringed as he regained control of his lion. "Is attacking right now really such a good idea? You know, since not everyone is so great with their lions?"

"Do you mean me, specifically?" Allura asked, feeling genuinely hurt by this statement.

"You? No, no!" Hunk stuttered, trying to clean up his little mess of words. That statement most likely came out wrong. "I'm just simply pointing out more than half of the team are in new lions, maybe now's not a great time to bite off more than we can chew."

Allura narrowed her eyes. Compared to the other paladins, who had far more experience than she did, even if two were in new lions now, she really wasn't as accustomed to the machine as the others. But, when she flew it, when she bonded with it, or when she first felt the convergence of the lions while riding with Keith, she knew she was meant to be here.

Yet, she was sadly aware that she wasn't the most flawless flyer right now. Yet that only made the princess more determined to get better at it. Maybe it was Keith's desire to also take out Lotor, her newborn thrive to improve her skills, or both mixed in the same pot, but Allura refused to just turn back now. Not with this Zarkon Jr. running around. Besides, learning while on the field is how the paladins managed to adjust to their lions, so logically speaking she should be able to do so as well.

"You can thank our hot headed leader for that one!" Lance exclaimed, rolling his eyes.

Keith rose a brow. "First you want me to lead then you complain about how I do it." The new Black Paladin bit his tongue to prevent him from saying anything else that would further initiate an argument with Lance. No matter how annoying his statement was. He was the one who encouraged Keith to take on the mantel of leadership.

Though, to be fair, this kind of decision, for most, would sound irrational, but if Keith was going to get the hang of this leadership business he should start now. One learns best when on the field, right?

Keith decided to avert his attention from Lance back to his girlfriend. "Allura, you okay over there?"

"Yeah, you need any help?" Lance asked, sounding equally concerned. He did fly the Blue Lion beforehand, he would have been more than happy to give a few pointers.

"I'm fine." Allura insisted, feeling a mixture of touched and slight annoyance at the boys hovering over her. Both figuratively and literally. "I've been flying the castle for half my life. I just need a few tics to adjust to the lion." she said, masking her own uncertainties behind an attempt curtain of valor.

Keith immediately picked up on it and already he was starting to feel regret over his decision. "I'll be alright." Allura insisted, worried her previous statement wasn't enough to convince them.

Lance was genuinely concerned about both Allura and Keith's decision to carry on despite the very obvious elephant in the room in regards to this plan.

"You sure?" Keith asked. The question came spilling out before he could stop it.

"The best lessons are learned on the battle field after all." Allura stated defiantly. "I'm not backing down now."

Pidge, Lance and Hunk, even without seeing one another face to face, all shared the identical looks of concern and surprise. Somehow, taking on the controls of the lion had ignited something within the princess. Well, it wasn't entirely new, but this newfound purpose only further pushed the already iron-willed princess's determination to new heights.

Allura managed to stir her lion a bit closer to Keith's, who subconsciously lowered his own lion to be in equal level with hers. "How much further?" she asked as they were nearing a planet, where Keith's tracking device had led them.

"Lotor's cruiser's on the other side of this planet." Pidge said, spotting the ship on her computer screen. "At our current rate of speed we'll be in attack range within an hour."

"Good. Hold formation, we're going in."

The team stood together, ready to creep up onto Lotor like a silent cat after a distracted mouse. After a few minutes, Keith detected movement coming from the ship. "So much for the element of surprise," Lance had said. Never the less, this was their chance.

But rather than the ship itself attacking them, a single fighter ship exited from the hangar. Strange to see only a single one of these guys attempting to fight the lions all alone. Keith didn't waste a second in going after it, but in doing so, Lance accidentally accelerated his lion too much and collided with Keith. The black lion flipped around in mid air.

"Lance, what are you doing?!"

"Sorry! Red here is a lot faster than I'm used to!… Uh, where did that fighter go?"

The fighter himself came flying above Keith, shooting his lasers at the lion. Just like before, Keith couldn't evade the attacks fast enough. Not in the same way he could while in the red lion. The lion was heavier and less nimble in comparison, it irritated the quiznack out of Keith, even more so as he felt every hit against the surface of his beast.

The others came quickly to his aid, but the fighter's ship was smaller, there for far more nimble than any of the other lions. Cleverly, he used the green, yellow and blue lion's rays to his advantage and flew near Keith, causing Allura's beam to accidentally strike him.

"Allura!" Keith snapped without thinking. Allura quickly apologized and he was about to do so as well, knowing well enough it was only an accident, but that annoying fighter just wouldn't quit. His dog on laser struck him again before he could say anything.

How were they unable to best this one small little fighter jet? He was toying around with them, using their own attacks against one another, and even taking advantage of Allura's own struggle with piloting her new lion to his advantage. It was like something straight out of a Tom and Jerry cartoon, only a billion times more menacing and completely devoid of the amusing slapstick. It was then Keith concluded it had to be Lotor.

As if his hatred towards the Galra prince wasn't big enough, it just grew ten million sizes today.

Even Allura was getting fed up with this guy. He was making complete fools of them all. No wonder Keith was so determined to take him out as soon as possible. He wasn't using any weapons other than his lasers, he didn't have a fleet at his disposal this time around, and he was using their own weaknesses against them.

It especially didn't help that she was still having trouble with her lion. The princess groaned irritably as she sat upright again after being pushed back from her third or possibly fourth impact. She was hesitant to keep count.

"Allura you okay over there?" Hunk asked. Despite having taken a massive hit when their lions crashed into one another, he was looking out his window to make sure she was alright.

"I'm fine but these controls aren't responding, not like the castle." Allura tightened her grip on the controls. "What's wrong with you lion? Do as I command! Move!"

It just didn't make sense. The castle was so much easier to pilot, and it was massive. How could one smaller lion be such an issue? They were both made of supernatural technology that couldn't be explained by simple science, and Allura was an Altean, powerful energy coursed through her bloodstream and the lions were made from Altean technology by her own father. This shouldn't have been any different. It wasn't supposed to be.

"Maybe someone should suggest to Allura that flying the lion is different than flying the castle." Pidge said.

"Hey, I already told her yelling at her lion wouldn't work." Lance said, sounding understandably annoyed. "Didn't go over well, she yelled at me too! Then again, the woman is dating Keith."

"Yeah, count me out." Hunk said, "She scares me when she's under pressure."

"I can hear you!"

All three paladins shrieked in fear. Allura did not sound at all amused. If they didn't blast one another to bits, then Allura certainly will once this was all over.

"Keith, what should we do?" Pidge asked.

Keith himself growled to himself, wishing he didn't immediately feel angry at Pidge's question, which was an understandable one, but it still infuriated him even more than it already did. Everyone was getting their butts kicked both by Lotor and from each other. He had to do something or else they would all blast one another and seriously injure themselves. If that meant he had to take Lotor head on by himself, so be it. Better him than them.

"Everyone stay out of my way!" Keith ordered. Wow, did that sentence come out wrong. What was intended to be an act of trying to protect his friends ended up sounding like an arrogant order so the big strong leader could take charge.

He ignored Lance's comment and aimed at Lotor, wanting nothing more than to get back at him for using his team for his own amusement. The two played a literal version of cat and mouse (or space cat and fighter ship in this case), but Lotor still managed to overpower Keith with his own lasers, laser which he still couldn't outmaneuver. Clearly, trying to take him out by himself wasn't working.

There was only one thing left; They needed Voltron.

The five lions flew in formation just like they always did when forming Voltron. Only, nothing happened. The magical energy they always felt when their lions became one never came. It felt hollow, like something was missing from the equation. Keith's worst fears began to surface. The team was starting over again, and because of their shift in the status quo, Voltron was hesitant to reappear.

Seeing this, Lotor separated the team with his lasers before flying off, leaving the lions behind to ponder on their incredibly humiliating display.

"Well that was embarrassing!" Lance couldn't have voiced it better.

First Shiro disappears, then because of the change they couldn't form Voltron, and now Lotor was able to get the upper hand on them. How did the paladins go from being so close to finally having a huge step over the Galra in defeating their leader and forming a coalition from the planets they freed from the enemy's hold, to becoming lame rookies and loosing to some spoiled prince all over again in the span of one day?

"So, should we call it quits?" Hunk asked, rather hopefully.

"No!" Keith exclaimed. His hatred towards the newly crowned Galra prince only grew in numbers that nearly rivaled the number of times he laser tagged his lion. "I know everyone is struggling but we can't let Lotor slip away!"

Allura sighed in irritation, not only because of Lotor's senseless mockery, but also that her own lion wouldn't respond to her commands. The smart thing to do would be to retreat, but Allura's ambition to not only gain control of her lion, but also to dethrone yet another Galra ruler was too strong for her to turn back now.

Keith was right, Lotor was a real threat and one they could not and should not underestimate. They had to think of some way to outsmart him. Some way to gain the upper hand.

"What do you have in mind?" Allura asked Keith, wearing a forceful look on her face that rivaled even her boyfriend's.

"He may have gotten the best of us this time… we won't let that happen again."

The other three paladins gulped in responce to Keith's statement. Suddenly, Lotor didn't appear to be all that scary.

(~)

The team followed Lotor to a planet surrounded by thick clouds swarming all around it, even from within. Despite Pidge's warnings, Keith flew on straight ahead into the planet.

Why would Lotor go into this planet? To hide from them? Did he really think they would just quit after that display? Well, this guy had another thing coming. This spoiled prince was going down, one way or another.

The rest of the team followed, but the moment they entered the planet something went wrong. All of a sudden, Keith's dashboard, computer, everything became nothing but static. Nothing seemed to be working properly. The purple glow was replaced by a very dim red light.

"Guys, we… ave… balm!"

"Pidge?" Keith called out, unable to get a clear read on her voice. "What was that?"

First static, and then Pidge's voice came out, but rather hard to hear. Keith had to multitask with keeping his sights on Lotor, who's ship kept coming and going due to the thick clouds, and trying to decipher what Pidge was saying.

"My censors are… crazy! I think… planet's… atmosphere…be strange magnetic pulls!"

So, from what Keith had gathered, this planet's gas was interfering with their censors. That would explain it, and it would explain why Lotor would come here. This was his plan the whole time.

He was luring them here, but why? What could one small pilot do to them?

Keith tried to reach the others, but his eyes were kept straight ahead. Lotor's ship kept blurring in and out. From the corner of his eyes, too fast for him to have reacted in time, a single ray of lightning came shooting in his direction. Keith was temporarily blinded and his lion took a massive hit, crashing into a nearby rock and he tumbled down.

"Keith!" he heard. He recognized it to be Hunk. The new black paladin screamed as he tumbled and crashed into various rocks before extending his claws to grab onto the side of what he assumed was some kind of large boulder.

Keith panted, his heart accelerating both from the fall and from his own nerves. He tried contacting the others, but all he heard was static and the very faint sound of someone's voice, but he could barely make out who it was.

It was then, he spotted him. Lotor's ship not too far away, silently taunting him. Keith's animalistic rage took hold and he charged his lion full speed at the ship.

He wasn't going to let this guy get away. Now, it was personal.

(~)

"Keith! Keith, do you copy?" Pidge kept trying to desperately reach their leader. "We lost Keith!"

"I don't see him!" Lance said as they struggled to even stay together. The fog kept thickening, making it harder for them to see what was in front of them, what was bellow or even if there was a way out.

"We must find Keith!" Allura said. "He couldn't have gotten far."

"Everyone, stick together." Lance said as they went further ahead. Using their lion's golden eyes to light the way, they kept their own eyes pealed for any sign of the Black Lion.

The clouds became even thicker and Allura was struggling to keep up. "I'm loosing visual on you all. You need to slow down!"

More lightning came shooting in various directions, frightening the princess. One of those just took out one of their own, any one of them could be next.

There was still no sign of Keith, but that seemed to be the least of their troubles. Lance crashed into another rock and it wasn't long before Allura lost sight of him. Another rock came into view in her path and she quickly pulled back. She tumbled and crashed into more rocks.

Hunk and Pidge fell back to try and save her. Lance had been separated from the others. He called out, but nobody answered him.

He was all alone.

(~)

Keith lost sight of Lotor for a moment, but remained still, looking in all directions until he finally found him. The Galra prince was hiding behind several odd shaped rocks and when Keith saw his chance, he fired.

His lion's laser beam caught fire in a way Keith had never witnessed before. The impact made his lion fall back from the impact. Keith's head hit the back of his chair and he growled in frustration.

He tried to strike again, but every time he did, his lasers had become explosions that created thick clouds of fire smoke, preventing him from being able to spot Lotor.

This guy had everything planned out. Keith's anger boiled to lethal levels of high. How could he allow this scoundrel to escape his grasp now knowing just what he was capable of.

Forget lasers, Keith would smash the ship with his lion's own jaws if he had to. He charged straight ahead, only for Lotor's ship to made a quick turn and Keith's own lion collided with that of another.

A familiar high pitched scream came piercing through from the red colored feline.

"Lance?"

"Keith! Boy, am I happy to see you! And that's the first."

"Behind you!" Keith pushed his lion forward and aimed at Lotor, only to find that he was gone. "No. No! I had him!"

"Keith, we've got to go back!"

"No! I have to find him!"

"Keith, we have to go back to the others!"

Keith clenched his fists tightly, his desire to eliminate Lotor only intensified. He was the one who led them into this planet! He was the one who tricked them! He was the one….

… the one Keith had followed to begin with.

Looking around, his anger slowly extinguishing, he realized he was now all alone, save for Lance. His team, the team in which trusted him to lead them… he had allowed his own ambition, his own hatred towards Lotor, his own anger cloud his mind and now his friends, his girlfriend, were lost and it was all his fault.

How could he have been so stupid? How could he have not realized the risks this came with? He was just so head set on there not having be another threat to their mission to save the universe he… how could he be so foolish?

The others were right, but he was just too stubborn and too scared to not take decisive action, too determined to try and be a decisive leader that he forgot to act like one.

With a heavy heart, and without saying a word, Keith turned his lion and joined Lance in the search for the others.

Completely unaware of the sly prince watching them. Unlike the lions, his ship was built for this planet's gases. So, locating the others while these two wandered aimlessly around was going to be fun.

(~)

"Allura, you okay?" Pidge asked once she and Hunk were near her lion.

"I'm sorry I slowed us down, but the Blue Lion isn't listening to me!"

"It's okay, we're a team." Hunk said. "We stick together."

"Tell that to our leader." Pidge said bitterly. "Now we have no idea how to get out of here."

"Hey, where's Lance?" Hunk looked around but saw no signs of the red lion. "Lance? Buddy?"

Allura gasped when she spotted something not too far away. "Over there!" on impulse, she flew her lion towards the object, only to narrow her eyes once she discovered that it wasn't Lance but Lotor's ship.

"It's Lotor!" Allura called out and went after him. "Follow me!"

Pidge and Hunk obeyed and the three went after the fiend. If he was here, then Keith and Lance shouldn't be too far behind. After a few laps, the ship disappeared from sight.

"Where did he go?" Allura asked, wishing she could just pierce through this gas and shoot him down in an instant.

"No clue. Our radars are useless in here." Pidge said.

"Hey, is it just me, or is anyone else getting the feeling this guy isjust toying with us?" Hunk asked, his lion nearly hovering upside-down.

"Lotor must have led us here on purpose!" Pidge concluded.

"Up there!" Allura cried out, just when Lotor came shooting by on his ship.

"We have to get out of here!" Hunk said, already frantically moving around in his chair. "We've been led into a trap! The tables have turned! He's flipped the script! The hunter's have become the hunted!"

"Hunk, shouting tag lines isn't going to help!" Pidge shouted in irritation, causing Hunk to shriek and silence himself.

"Circle together. He could attack at any moment." Allura said. The other two lions hovered beside hers. "Once you see him, fire."

After a few short seconds of waiting the ship came at full speed. The lions each took turns shooting their lasers at the ship, but just like with Keith, the lasers only created a combustion reaction. Allura was flown back due to the impact, rolling in mid air until she stopped.

Lotor's ship was coming right at her. The princess made a quick get away, immediately concluding that her own attacks would prove worthless.

Her lion ran across various rocks but lost her balance, crashing and rolling down into a dark chasm. He tried calling to the others, but they could not hear her. Allura managed to cement her lion's paws onto a rocky surface and watched as Lotor, no doubt searching for her, slowly left the area.

The Blue Lion resides in a cave, surrounded by interlocking rocks that resembled a twisted dark forest of some kind. Allura trembled as the ship left, but she had a sinking feeling she wouldn't be able to stay hidden for long.

Sooner or later, he will find her, and without being able to contact the other paladins, she was as helpless as a newborn lion cub out in the open savanna.

(~)

Lance and Keith searched and searched, but found no trace of the others. The red lion briefly landed on a branch-like rock for a moment, just to keep his balance steady. The Black Lion hovered limply beside him.

"I can't get a read on anyone." Lance said, tampering with his controls. "Nothing I do works."

"This is all my fault." Keith said. This was the first time he had spoken a full sentence since they found one another. The rest of the time it had been him desperately calling out his friend's names, only to be met with nothing but emptiness.

"I followed him right into this trap. You all warned me but… I didn't listen. I put the entire team in jeopardy."

Lance was so, so tempted to say "I told you so", but immediately reconsidered when he heard Keith's voice.

It almost sounded like he was… like he was about to cry. Keith, mister hot-shot, rebel hero was on the verge of tears. And, strangely enough, Lance wasn't too surprised.

He knew Keith, in his own strange, lone-wolf kind of way, cared for the others, but now, his own girlfriend-- the literal love of his life-- was a part of that team now. It was no huge shocker why Keith would be so distraught.

Lance saw how frantic and desperate Keith became when Allura was first captured by Zarkon. He heard Keith's heart wrenching screams of sorrow when she was presumed dead. It even made himself cry.

A lecture was the last thing this guy needed. He would let Allura take care of that, but for now, Lance had to do what the red lion chose him to do. Be the leader's right hand man.

"Yeah, you kind of did. But now we've got to fix it. We'll find them, we just have to keep looking."

Keith let out a shaking sigh and squinted his eyes as to not blurry his vision due to the tears.

"You're right. Let's go."

(~)

"Hello? Can anyone hear me?"

All that came out was static. Not even the tiniest hint of another living being's voice, and what's worse Lotor's ship was still scouting the perimeter, still looking for her. She couldn't stay here, she needed to find a way out, but how?

Nothing was working, she lost contact with her team, and her lion just wasn't following her instructions.

The princess sat back in her chair, taking in a deep breath. Now was not the time to panic. Now was the time to think of a solution. She could do this, like Pidge said, making decisions was what she did best. That and piloting the castle and hand to hand combat. She could do this.

"Okay, stay calm Allura. Think. What would Lance do?"

Good question. What would Lance do? Crack a joke? Same some strange one liner or something? Flirt? Well, it was worth a shot. Maybe that's how they communicated with one another.

Allura put on her best Lance impression, saying some on the spot line about particle barriers like the one Lance used when they all first met. It made her groan the first time, but maybe it would work on the lion?

… why did she think that would work? Just saying it out loud made her want to slap herself almost as badly as she had wanted to slap Lance when he said it. What did he even mean by that anyway?

… on second thought, she's rather not know.

"Nothing works! I tried asking you nicely and I've tried commanding you! What do you want from me?"

Allura looked out to see if Lotor's ship was still there. It wasn't, for now, but that could change at any moment. She had no team, no castle, she couldn't control her lion properly.

There weren't that many things Allura hated. There was Zarkon. Feeling helpless. Loosing her loved ones. Lotor, at this point. That witch Haggar for assisting in the destruction of her home.

But the one thing that rivaled all of those combined… was being alone.

She might as well be back in that horrid Astral Plane again. Alone and completely invisible to the outside world. Not even Keith could save her from this now. She was a prisoner yet again in the hands of a greedy Galra.

The princess was on the verge of tears. She should be able to fly the lion properly. She should have gotten the hang of this. She…

… she shouldn't have gone through with this to begin with.

She should have rationalized with Keith instead of being blinded by her own ambition to fly the lion. She was so cockily confident she could master it, but she had foolishly placed herself in harms way.

As it would seem, neither of them were thinking clearly. Now, as she was sitting by herself inside the lion, Allura allowed all of her walls to crumble. What point was there in trying to keep up a confident face, anyway? She knew she had failed, and the lion did also, even if it didn't say anything.

"I can't do this." Allura said, more so to herself than anyone. "Everyone depends on me. The universe depends on me, but… I can't control everything."

Allura looked up to the dashboard, tracing her fingers over its surface. "I have to set things right… I need your help. Please. I don't want to be alone again."

"_You're not alone._"

Allura gasped. The words were clear in her mind, yet they came out like a soft, happy purr. She looked up, feeling the radiant blue aura surround her. Her tears dried up and her heart leaped for joy.

"I can hear you!"

"_Of course you can. All you had to do was let go. Admitting your failures is not a weakness, child. Rather, doing so proves just how strong you are._"

Allura was just about to respond, but a powerful ray came shooting through the cave she was hiding him, sending her flying out.

It was Lotor.

Allura did the only thing she could think of right now: Run!

She begged the lion for help, asking it to guide her, to not let her fight this alone. The lion responded by revealing to her a special skill the princess could use. It was no laser gun, but never the less, it proved to be useful.

It was the same sonic ray Lance had used, but instead she used it as a sonar map to find her way through the planet. Now she could find an escape and locate the others.

With this, Allura was not only able to fly faster than Lotor, now knowing her way around, but also spotted the red sentient nitride gas, which was what had caused her ray to create an explosion. This substance was highly combustionable when exposed to intense light. Lotor wouldn't be able to use his lasers here, and neither would she.

But, what if the rays wasn't from intense heat, but intense cold?

Trying her luck, Allura shot her freeze ray at Lotor's left wing, rendering him useless and he flew away. Allura was in the clear. They both were.

"We did it, Blue! Now, let's find the other paladins."

(~)

"Seriously, how big is this planet?" Lance complained. He and Keith had been searching for what felt like hours, and still no sign of the others.

"We have to keep looking." Keith said. "Lotor is still out there. Who knows what other tricks he could be playing on the others."

"Oh, I wouldn't worry about him for a while."

Both boys gasped when they heard a female voice coming through, clear as a bell despite their still static controls and computers. A pair of golden orbs pierced through the thickness of the fog, revealing the blue lion.

"Allura!"

"It's really good to see you both. I was so worried."

"Allura, I am so, so sorry!" Keith said, moving his lion closer to hers. If he wasn't sitting right now, the young man would practically be on his knees right now.

"This is all my fault! I should have seen right through his trick, I should have listen to you guys. I thought--I thought I was being a leader by taking action."

"Keith, it's okay." Allura said with a light chuckle. "I understand. To be honest, I should have said something as well. I was just so eager to prove myself that I didn't think to discuss this plan with you."

"It's not your fault, I didn't give you the chance. I was idiot for going off first before telling you or anyone."

"How about next time you have an idea that involves the rest of the team, we talk about it first before you go off and try to handle things on your own?" Allura said, speaking from recent experiences.

"You got it! But, how did you find us?"

"Let's just say, Blue and I had a moment to bond and she showed me how to use her sonar map in order to navigate my way through. All I needed was to show a little humility."

Keith chuckled. "Yeah. Same here."

Lance then flew his lion in between the two of them. "Awww, I'm happy you two worked things out, but um, think maybe we could get back to finding the others before Prince Charming shows up again?"

Allura nodded. "Follow me. I know where Hunk and Pidge are."

(~)

Allura found Pidge and Hunk in record time, with Lance and Keith right beside her. Hunk was practically leaping in his seat. "You guys found us!"

"Actually, Allura found you." Keith said, smiling proudly. "She found all of us. She was able to connect with her lion."

"How did you do it?" Pidge asked.

"I just had to get into a Lance-like mindset and stop thinking so much." Allura replied, which was true in a sense. Once she stopped trying to hard and just, let go as the lion placed it, connecting with her came out more naturally rather than when she tried to force it.

"Yeah, think like Lance!" The current red paladin smiled smugly, only to realize what those words meant. "Wait, are you calling me dumb?!"

"No, I'm calling you a natural."

"Naturally dumb." Hunk added, and Allura couldn't help but laugh.

"Yeah, he was born with it." Pidge said, making Lance pout and hunch in his seat, arms crossed over his chest.

Keith let out a chuckle. It felt so good to have the team back together. "Look, I'm glad we're all making fun of Lance, but we still need to find a way out of here."

"Follow me, I know a way out." Allura said, until she picked up something else on her radar. "Wait a tic, everyone we've got company. Looks like Lotor called for backup.

"Aw ma! It's always something!" Hunk whined, huffing while slumping in his seat like Lance.

"We have to form Voltron." Keith said. There was no possible way they were going to be able to dight this fleet with them all in separate lions. They needed more fire power.

"But we were not able to form Voltron the last time we tried."

"I know. But we have to keep trying." Keith said empathetically. He failed in being a take charge leader before, but he soon realized that wasn't how he did things. Maybe he'll figure out how to make proper decisions of his own, but right now he knew he needed to do what he should have done in the first place.

Focus on the team's own strength and trust in their abilities to work together to get out of this mess. Just like Allura learned she could not have found her way out of the fog by herself, Keith needed to be reminded that, leader or not, he was part of a team first and foremost. Only as a team could they form Voltron, that's what really mattered right now

"We may have come here fragmented and disorganized, but the only way we're getting out of here is if we work together. This is our team. Shiro believed in us. We have to believe in ourselves. Who's with me?"

"Yeah!"

There it was. That spark that ignited when they all first banded together as a team back on Arus. In Keith's attempt to try and take charge, he had unintentionally severed the link between their lions' mystical connection. Well, not anymore.

Being a leader was still new to Keith, but it was clear now that his way of leading wasn't the type to just bark out orders or do things on his own when the team couldn't. That wasn't who Keith had become. He cared about these guys, and somehow, someway, it was that same bond of friendship that brought out a part of him that had the qualities Allura believed he possessed to lead this team.

Keith still wasn't one hundred percent sure if that was the case, but that wasn't important right now. What was really important was forming Voltron and escaping this planet. It was now or never.

"Now… _form Voltron!_"

Unlike before, when the lions remained separated, the mystical thread that linked them all wrapped around them and together they transformed into the mighty space warrior.

For Pidge and Hunk, it was the same as it had always been, but for Lance, Keith and Allura, it was both different and new.

Lance was the right arm now, no longer a leg. The view was very different from before, and yet somehow Lance felt a new sense of pride and accomplishment. Now he had the pleasure of forming the sword in battle.

Allura felt as giddy as a five-year-old girl receiving her very first princess ball gown. She was finally a part of Voltron, finally a part of the weapon her father had built all those years ago. She may not be on the red lion, but never the less, it was the honor of a lifetime to be a part of this.

"Hunk, I'm a leg!"

"Pretty cool, right!"

As for Keith, being the head of Voltron as a strange feeling, yet at the same time it felt… both right, confusing, frightening, and uplifting all at the same time. It was such a peculiar mixture of emotions he wasn't sure if he was happy, surprised, sad or scared. Maybe all of thee above, but even that wasn't enough to fully comprehend the sensation.

He pushed those thoughts away and focused on the five of them zooming out of the planet and to get past the fleet. When the ship fired its ion cannon, Voltorn activated the shield to counter the blast, using the ship's own ray to wipe out the entire fleet in literally one swing. Lance extended the sword and they tore the ship in half in half the time it normally took for them.

They had never defeated a Galra fleet this quick, or this swiftly before. It was as if Voltron had gained some kind of small boost in energy. Like it had just woken up from a long slumber and was up and about with no interest in stoping.

"Lotor's getting away!" Pidge said, looking at the single ship that was flying off in the opposite direction. "Should we go after him?"

Keith shook his head. He was not about to make the same mistake twice.

"No. Pushing the team too hard is what got us in this mess in the first place. We'll face him again when we're ready."

Lance gave him a salute from inside his lion, currently formed as the right hand of Voltron.

"Roger that, Team Leader!"

(~)

Upon arriving at the castle, half the team were out like lights. Nobody spoke about the events until the following morning once everyone was well rested. Coran had to wake them all up due to them all sleeping in. He figured it must have been one heck of a mission to tire them all out like this. And yet, when they awoke, they were nothing but ecstatic.

Lance kept on gushing over the thrill of using the sword for the first time, while Pidge and Hunk kept reliving details about the gas planet, and even complimenting Allura on her bonding with the Blue Lion and even Keith's ability to rally the team back together after his rocky start.

Allura managed to sea away from the festivities and headed down to her lion's hangar. She felt so much more at ease with herself. No longer feeling ashamed that she needed to ask for help. Help was what had guided her through. She turned her head when she heard footsteps approaching.

"You were amazing back there." Keith said, making the princess blush.

"It wasn't just me." Allura said, looking up at the lion, which she was now able to call her own. "I couldn't have done it without Blue's help." she noticed the concerned look on Keith's face. "I'm proud of you, Keith. You really came through back there."

"Yeah… right after I messed everything up."

"Yes, well, you're not the only one." Allura moved closer, stroking Keith's cheek. "I understand you're scared. We all are. We can't control everything that happens, but that doesn't mean we should try and solve everything on our own either… I had to learn that the hard way when Blue wouldn't listen to me."

Keith managed to give her a soft smile, holding her hand close to his cheek.

"Being a leader is about so much more than giving orders." Allura said. "It's about believing in your fellow paladins, just as we believe in you. You and I have always been a team, now we just need to remind ourselves that we are a part of _their_ team as well."

The two shared a loving kiss, pressing their foreheads together, wrapped in each other's arms. "I'm still not sure whether or not I'll ever be as good a leader as Shiro, but… for you, I'm willing to try. Like you said, we're all in this together. I promise not to forget that again."

"Me too."

"Now, we just need to practice getting the hang of our new lions."

Allura tapped her chin in thought. "Well, I have an idea on how we can start."

(~)

Allura and Keith's lions spun and slipped across the void of space, every once in a while letting out a haughty "WOO-HOO!!" from within their lions.

Keith was already becoming accustomed to the Black Lion, learning how to cooperate with it's level of speed, while Allura was now flying the Blue Lion as effortlessly as if it were a part of her. The two raced and practiced their aim with simple hovering meteorites nearby.

Allura thrusted her fist into the air. "That's fifteen out of ten! I win!"

"Best fifteen out of twenty!" Keith challenged with a smile.

"Challenge accepted!" Allura turned to the other three paladins, flying limply behind them. "Come one, everyone! You're going to have to keep up if we're going to defeat Lotor!"

Lance, Pidge and Hunk, who were once so full of energy this morning, now looked as if they hadn't slept in days. Keith and Allura had gotten everyone together to train with their new lions, but Keith and Allura had somehow turned it into some way to pass the time, while they were just trailing behind them like embarrassing tag alongs.

"How much longer do we have to keep this up?" Hunk whined.

"Seriously, it's been eight hours!" Lance said, having literal bangs under his eyes. "I can barely keep my lion up anymore."

Allura chuckled while blushing. "Alright, I suppose we could take a break." she said. The three paladins sighed in relief. "… right after I leave Keith in the dust!"

"Not this time, Princess!"

The couple laughed as they challenged one another yet again, leaving the three paladins to take a breather. "If Lotor doesn't kill us first, their "training sessions" will definitely do the job." Pidge said.

"Tell me about it." said Hunk. "The only thing scarier than an angry Allura is an adrenaline junkie Allura."

"Worse. An adrenaline junkie Allura _and_ Keith." Lance said. "Twice the temper, twice the pain."

"_We can hear you!_"

Lance, Pidge and Hunk all screamed in terror and managed to gain enough strength back to fly their lions back into the castle before the paladin, alien power couple came after them, and they most certainly would, right after they finished their game.


	23. Chapter 23

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was dedicated to my grandfather, Raul Delgado who passed away in February 12, 2018
> 
> Descansa en Paz, Abuelito

The search for Shiro was still ongoing. Between that and trying to figure out clues to where he disappeared, while simultaneously juggling training with their lions, and trying to locate where Lotor will strike next. Needless to say, the past two to three weeks have been pretty busy. But, for restless Keith, keeping busy was exactly what he needed.

If he was going to be a leader, he knew the only other best person who would be perfect to help him through it would be Allura. Even if she herself was also learning, in terms of diplomacy, taking action and keeping a level head in a dangerous situation, she was the ideal person for the job. And Coran, despite his silliness at times, was indeed wise and insightful in the mater. After all, he was King Alfor's right hand man for as long as Allura could remember.

In that time, the team still had their fair share of close encounters with the Galra. While trying to locate Lotor and his next move, their searches would often lead them to various more planets which had been taken over by the Galra. With the inside information gathered by the Blades of Marmora, Team Voltron managed to free two of those planets in record time during the first week. In gratitude, their leaders both agreed to join the coalition. During the second week they managed to liberate another, while disabling various Galra military bases in the quadrant near those said planets.

During their down time, Pidge would continue the quest for her family, Hunk would prepare a delicious home cooked meal, Lance would either be chilling in the pool or playing video games with Pidge when she wasn't doing research, and Keith and Allura would blow off some steam in the training deck before diner was ready. Sometimes, late at night, Keith would sit in the chair of the Black Lion, continuously asking it where Shiro was. Sadly, his questions all went unanswered. He refused to give up, but after possibly the tenth of maybe twelfth time, he came to the conclusion that wherever the answers to this mystery where, he wasn't going to find them by asking the giant mechanical feline.

Around the third week, things seemed to be calming down a bit, so Keith and Allura took this time to organize their findings on all the progress they've made so far. It was a relatively short list, but it was something. Keith, Allura, Coran and the rest of the paladins were gathered in the central control room, a hologram of a map with various color coded lights hovering over specific areas floated in the center before them.

Pidge tampered with a small holographic computer, which she used to highlight the areas on the map. "So, that's three planets who have agreed to join the coalition. Five military bases taken down in the last two weeks, and the Blade of Marmora are escorting more refuges to Olkarion as we speak."

Keith fought the urge to sigh. Just listening to all of this information was exhausting. Still, he managed to fight it by inhaling deeply through his nose. "Good. Have the Blades found anything on Lotor?"

"Not yet, but they're still looking. Kolivan says he's got spies on the inside keeping him posted twenty four seven for any new information."

"Seriously, it's like the guy just disappeared into thin air." Lance said, arms folded. Any news about the Galra prince have been close to none existent at this point, but rather than feel relief, it only made Keith more anxious. Lotor was planing something, he knew that much.

Keith's thoughts on their new enemy were cut off when Allura spoke. "Even if we have yet to find Lotor, our coalition is growing more and more every day. At this rate, we'll have more allies than ever before, ready to fight back against the Galra."

Hunk scratched the back of his neck, "Yeah. I have to admit, we're kind of on a roll here."

"Don't celebrate just yet." Keith said, souring the mood a bit. His cold, violet grey eyes locked on the map, specifically the areas in which they glowed purple. "We still have no idea what Lotor's planing. If we can figure out his plans, we'll be one step ahead of him."

Allura noticed how the other paladins all suddenly stiffed at Keith's words. The role of leadership was a heavy burden on the former red paladin's shoulders. It's for this reason he spent as much as he could keeping his finger on the pulse of their next mission. It was often Shiro's job to be in the know on every detail, so Keith made sure to do just that. Thankfully, Allura was right there beside him to help him carry that burden. Every once in a while, she needed to remind him to take a breather, eat and or drink something, as well as sleep.

She was thankful he wasn't working himself to exhaustion, and it was obvious Keith was only pushing this much for the sake of the team, not for himself. If anything, with Keith being the leader, it ironically, coaxed him to spending more time with the other paladins, whether during training or just relaxing. When he was just a team member, Keith had a bit more leeway to be by himself if he wanted to be, but now as co-leader alongside Allura, his instincts pushed him to better understand everyone, and this surprisingly helped improve his leadership skills.

Granted, he was still reckless and hot-tempered, but his willingness to listen to a second opinion had greatly grown during this time. Or perhaps, it had already started growing bit by bit even before Shiro's disappearance, and now it was starting to take effect. Keith's take-action perspective was perfectly balanced with Allura's calculative decision making, alongside their equally fierce determination and bond with their teammates. Depending on one another was not only helpful on the field, but reassuring as well.

Still, even with the change in Keith's attitude and dynamic with the team, it was always the uncertainty of Lotor popping up at any time that would make him reverse back into that cold, calculative soul they saw before them.

As always, Allura's very touch managed to get Keith to soften. "And we will find him." she said firmly. "We're all working as hard as we can. But we mustn't forget, the coalition is just as important too."

Keith managed to calm himself down a bit, especially when he saw everyone else's uncomfortableness. "I know, you're right. I guess I'm just still a little on edge." he ran his hand through his thick, messy hair.

"We all are, man." Lance said, smiling in reassurance. "But, you gotta admit, we're doing pretty good right now. I mean, five military bases? That's a new record!"

"Not gonna lie, I had my doubts about you being leader." Pidge said. "But after all of this, I'm actually happy to say that I was wrong for once." the computer in Pidge's hand disappeared and the shorter female paladin covered her mouth with one hand while gripping her stomach with another, looking like she were about to vomit.

"Are you alright?" Allura asked.

Pidge nodded her head, "Yeah, I'm fine. I just really hate saying I was wrong about anything." she said, her cheeks puffing up once more before taking in a deep breath. It really hurt to say such words. "I'm good. I'm good."

Keith felt his face heat up. "Uh, thanks. I guess. But really, the credit should go to Allura." he said, earning a blush from his girlfriend. "She was the one who managed to coax all of these leaders into joining us."

"Yes, but your leadership was what got us through most of our missions. Your fast thinking, and knowledge of everyone's strengths in battle. You've come a long way in such a short time."

"That's only because you were there to pull me back up whenever I got stuck." Keith replied. His once stoic expression now completely evaporated as he intertwined his fingers with Allura's.

"Not counting that one time you literally got you lion stuck in that living swamp?" Lance said, earning disgusted looks from the two of them.

"And that same goo got stuck to your lion, came to life and almost took over the castle?" Hunk said, while Pidge shuddered in disgust at the memory.

"I thought we agreed never to speak of that again." Allura said through gritted teeth and narrowed eyes. There are some things in life in which it was best to forget.

The doors swooshed open and Coran bursted into the room. "Oh, good, you're all here! I just received word from planet Pymra. They're hosting their very first Sunrise Celebration since being liberated by the Galra, and requested the paladins of Voltron attend the festivities as honored guests."

Lance's eyes widened with child-like glee. "A party? For us?"

"Didn't you hear him?" Pidge said with a stern tone. "It's a cultural celebration, not a glory parade."

"Whatever! Food, games, music, girls, I'm in!"

"You had me at food!" Hunk said excitedly, which only made Pidge roll her eyes.

"Is stopping for a party really such a good idea right now? There's still a lot of work to be done." Keith said. The very idea of letting their guard down, even for a moment when anything could happen, distracted by music and all sorts of colorful things didn't seem like a wise option.

"Pymra is one of our allies in the coalition." Allura reminded him. "It would be unwise if we declined their offer."

"I know, I just think--" Keith was silenced when Allura placed her finger over his lips.

"Keith, I know finding Lotor is a priority, but so is this coalition. We must do all we can to preserve the alliances we have made. We can't risk loosing even one."

Her finger lowered, her hand now on his shoulder. Keith hung his head in regret. "You make a good point."

"Besides, we never did get to have our little outing at the space mall so…" Allura stepped closer, her face inches away from his, "You owe me one date."

While the responsible leader side of Keith was saying to focus on the mission, the boyfriend side of him was practically screaming, "_Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it!_". But it wasn't just him.

Lance, Hunk and Pidge, even the mice, all gave him big wide puppy dog eyes, hands clapped over their hearts and quivering lower lips. Keith was also surprised when even Coran of all people was joining in as well, with big eyes of his own. It had been a busy few weeks, everyone was eager to get some down time.

"I… suppose a few hours wouldn't kill anyone." Keith finally said. Though, in all honesty, he would have said 'yes' even without the creepy puppy eyes. Well, on Pidge or the mice they weren't as creepy in comparison to the three men.

(~)

The Sunset Celebration was a simple one, but every bit as joyous as they came. The music was everywhere, but it wasn't so unbearably loud that it would have made one's ears blow off. The instruments they used were rather retro, resembling old style tribal instruments mixed with modern ones that barred reminiscent to hispanic culture.

The inhabitants of Pymra were humanoid-cat people with pointed ears, almost similar to Alteans, with multicolored fur all over their bodies, slit pupils, pink noses and even a few strands of whiskers with long bushy tails and claws for fingernails. Their fur colors were reminiscent of various felines, both domesticated and wild. Some resembled pumas, others leopards, lynxes, cheetahs, lions, tigers, both classical orange colored and albino. Needless to say, they were especially found of the mechanical lions.

Families gathered to bare witness to the massive marvels, while folks danced, sang, performed magic tricks and handed out their rare delicacies. Hunk savored their food, taking mental notes on which spices and herbs he could saver from every bite in hopes of making something similar back at the castle.

If there was anything Hunk was good at memorizing other than numbers and wires, it was food.

Pidge introduced her computer to some of the inhabitants, all of which were astonished by her device. The Pymranias were a rather modest race, and while they knew of technology, their enslavement in the hands of the Galra sadly left them with little of their own mechanical materials in order to fight back.

Coran happily chatted with some members of the royal court, entertaining them with funny stories during his time as King Alfor's advisor, while Lance was-- of course-- flirting with any female he came across, taking selfies and cracking up jokes which made them giggle. Every now and again, Pidge would shoot him the stink eye. No matter how hard she tried, she just couldn't look away.

Unbeknownst to her, Allura managed to pick up on that small detail.

Speaking of Allura, she and Keith were conversing with the Pymranian leader, who was a young lion king, alongside his cheetah fiance. "We are so happy you could attend the festival, Princess." said the young king.

"We were a tad worried you wouldn't be able to come." said the lovely cheetah woman, her ears slightly dropping bashfully. "We figured you had your hands tied fighting the Galra."

"It's the least we could do." Allura said, "Consider it our way of saying thank you for agreeing to be a part of the coalition."

"The honor was all ours." The young king offered his hand to Keith, who gave it a firm hand shake.

The sound of happy shrieking startled Keith and two little feline children came rushing towards the two. The little boy cat spoke first. "Hey, you're the Black Paladin, right?"

Keith blinked before responding. "Uh, yes. That's me." he replied, rather hesitantly. Being called the Black Paladin still felt off to him, probably because since he knew Shiro was still out there, being called a tittle that was still already taken just left him feeling like there was a pit in his stomach.

"Wow! What you did to that Galra ship with that jaw blade was incredible!"

"Not as cool as when Princess Allura froze them all in mid air!" The younger cat girl said. "That was the most amazingly amazing thing I've ever seen!"

The princess herself blushed at the compliment. "Aww, why thank you."

"But when you all flew up into the sky and formed Voltron! You had those Galra running off with their tail between their legs!" The cat boy said, pounding his fists and then thrusting them into the air while leaping.

The cat girl pulled out a long piece of fabric and offered it to both paladins. "Would you both sign my scarf?" she asked sweetly.

Keith looked at Allura for a moment. Nobody had ever asked him for an autograph before. He wasn't entirely sure if he liked this celebrity status but, he couldn't deny the request of such a sweet little innocent kid.

"Sure, kid." Keith crunched down and signed her scarf, followed by Allura. The little cat girl's eyes sparkled, holding the scarf as if it were now the most rarest of jewels.

"Thank you so much!" The little girl threw herself and hugged Keith and Allura's torsos, catching them both by surprise, and yet their chests warmed up at the affectionate gesture.

"When I grow up, I want to be just like you!" The cat boy said to them both, which really surprised Keith. He never imagined a child would one day look up to him in almost the same way he looked up to Shiro. He really didn't feel worthy of this young one's admiration, but in good conscience he held his tongue.

"Me too!"

Before Keith or Allura could answer, another elderly woman called out to the children. "Kit, Kat, come here, please!" the children bowed their heads in gratitude once more and scurried off to their caretaker, and were now surrounded by even more children.

"Are they all hers?" Allura asked.

"You could say that." the king replied, his ears lowering sadly. "She's head of our village's only orphanage."

The eyes of the two paladins widened upon hearing this. "They're orphans?" Keith said, though it was unneeded seeing as the answer was painfully obvious, even to him.

The cheetah nodded her head sadly. "Yes. The king was not the only loved one the Galra had taken from us."

Despite the happy cheering and giggling, and the little cat girl still having her hands tightly gripping her now signed scarf, the paladin couple's spirits dropped. Now realizing the truth of their situation, they could not keep themselves from feeling that all too familiar tear in their hearts.

"I'm terribly sorry." Allura said, her hand having subconsciously reached her heart, pressing her palm against the coldness of her armor.

"Truth be told, we've never seen the children so happy until you came along." the cheetah woman said. Her pink lips curled into a smile it made her appear even more youthful, the sun's rays caught in her long, somewhat unkept golden hair, in contrast to her fiance's fiery locks. "A lot of them even say they wish to join the coalition."

"Voltron has really inspired them." Said the young king, his strong arm around his beloved fiance, who rested her head on his shoulder.

Seeing their display of affection, in spite of the sad reality of their people's losses, started to lift up Keith and Allura's mood bit by bit. To think, a few robot lions managed to accomplish all of this. Keith looked all around, seeing the happiness of freedom, the promise of life, and the renewed faith of hope surrounding him like an unprepared whirlwind.

He had seen this before when the Balamarans were freed, as well as the Olkarions and all the other planets they have freed. Even with the stress of locating Lotor, and his still lingering uneasiness of being the leader, it was moments like these that made it all worth it. He could tell Allura agreed, for the happiness surrounding them had reached her as well. Their fingers intertwined and she took a note from the cheetah lady's book and nuzzled her head against Keith's shoulder. Coming here was definitely a good idea.

"Help! Somebody, please help!"

The music and laugher came to an abrupt halt when a middle aged woman, cloths and fur covered in ashes came running towards the king and future queen. "Your Majesty, our farm has caught fire! My husband and child are inside!"

Multiple gasps and murmurs of concern mixed with borderline terror filled the once joyous atmosphere. Immediately, Keith stepped forward, placing a sympathetic hand over the older cat woman's shoulder. "Don't worry, we'll get them out." he turned to the other paladins, all of which eagerly followed him, helmets back on their heads and bayards at the ready.

Their armor was endurable to many things, including heat. The woman led the paladins to her farm, which was falling apart due to the rapidly growing fire and was spreading farther into the forest. While the king's men rushed to retrieve water, Keith and the others ran into the burning house. With their helmets, they managed to find the woman's husband, who had been caught underneath a plank of fallen wood, with his son right beside him, trying desperately to remove it.

Using her Altean strength, Allura effortlessly removed the plank and Hunk and Lance hoisted the man over their shoulders while Pidge guarded the child out, covering his mouth so he wouldn't inhale too much smoke.

"The animals!" the boy cried out with a cough. "They're still trapped!"

The sounds of wailing and cawing from the alien creatures pierced through the thick crackling of wood. "You guys get them out of here!" Keith called out, "We'll free the animals! Allura, come on!"

Both paladins pushed their way into the barn, which was coming undone by the fire and smoke. Using their bayards, they broke down the stables and wooden doors, freeing the animals who all ran out in a panic, dodging the fire and out into the village. Instinctively, the creatures returned to the farmer and his family. The man himself coughed smoke, but he would live, as would his son.

"That's the last of them!"

"Allura!" Keith quickly pushed her out of the way just as the barn was coming down. They hurried out, but the fire had spread further into the woods. That was when they heard the sound of an animal in pain. Or rather, it somewhat sounded like an animal. But, it also sounded like a child weeping. It was hard to tell, but whatever it was, it itched both paladins to follow it.

Trees had caught fire, and not too far from the farmhouse, there laid a large creature. It's body made up of colorful scales, which now looked dark and gray. Cloven hooves, a long reptilian tail, Bat-like wings spread out, burned and torn with bits of blood dripping from the membranes, and a single curled horn extended from its forehead, rivaling the two other horns which stuck out from opposite sides of its head.

Its mouth was open, blood spilling out and staining the burning grass. The sound of whimpering and crying grew louder, and nearby, trapped underneath a fallen log, was a similar creature, only smaller and more frightened. Its body was covered in black spots, making it hard to distinguish its coloring. Its wing was caught underneath the fallen log.

Without question, or reason, Keith used his shield to push the log off. Allura scooped the injured creature into her arms just as more trees began to fall. Keith took one final look at the dead animal, now becoming engulfed in flames, swallowed a lump in his throat, and ran out of the forest behind Allura.

Outside, the king's men, with the aid of Hunk and Lance, found some kind of strange hose-like contraptions to water down the fire. Sadly, the farmhouse would need days, maybe months to be repaired, but the king and his fiance happily allowed the family to stay at the palace until then, while their animals would be well taken care of.

Keith and Allura ran out of the forest, the fires now going off one by one, and the trembling creature still cradled in Allura's arms. It curled up against her body, head buried in between its front legs, and its tail wrapped around Allura's arm. Once all was calm again, the family thanked the paladins for having saved their lives, and their animals.

"We're just sorry we couldn't save all of them." Allura said with remorse.

"What do you mean?" the farmer asked. "They're all accounted for."

"What about this one?" Keith gestured at the creature Allura was currently holding. It was the size of a baby deer, small and trembling like a chihuahua, while whimpering like an injured sheep. Its eyes were closed shut, squinting as if reliving a horrid nightmare.

The farmer took a closer look, gently removing Allura's hand, which had cupped the back of the creature's head, entangled in her long messy mane. The little beast dared to open her eyes, revealing a pair of very large green orbs, blurry as if it were crying. Its adorable little muzzle twitched and its mouth quivered.

Once the farmer moved his finger only by an inch, the creature immediately recoiled, released a frightened whimper and curled itself back in Allura's arms closing its eyes shut. It let out a pleading sound, almost as if it were begging for Allura to make everything go away.

The farmer cocked his head. "I'm sorry, but this little one isn't one of our animals. I've never seen it before."

Keith and Allura looked at one another, and then at the poor creature. It trembled as it dared to open its eyes but slowly relaxed as it gazed up at the two. Keith wiped some of the ashes from its cheek. Unlike with the farmer, the little creature didn't flinch, but instead nuzzled against Keith's palm before licking his still gloved fingers with confidence.

An unexpectedly warm feeling in his chest blossomed like a flower bud in spring. A smile was inevitable. The little one kept itself comfortable in the princess's protective embrace and even rested its head against her chest. That same warm, unexpected feeling took hold of Allura as well.

"Thank you once again for your help, Paladins." said the King as he approached the two paladins, then spotted the little creature. "And I see we're not the only ones who are grateful." he said, seeing the creature nuzzle even more in Allura's arms.

The poor little creature's trembling returned when the people of Pymra started cheering loudly for the paladins. Lance, Hunk and Pidge waved in response, while Keith and Allura tried to calm the creature down, while taking notice of her injured wing.

(~)

The paladins all said their thanks to the royal couple of Pymra, they received gifts and baskets of fruit and meat from the farmers, and the promise to join the fight against the Galra should the time arise.

Coran stretched his arms once they arrived at the control room, "Well, I'd say that trip was a success! Now then, back to business."

"In a moment, Coran. We still need to tend to our little friend here." Allura said while cradling the still frightened creature, now currently wrapped up in a blanket. Ever since the fire, the little thing refused to be separated from Allura. Keith stayed by her side the entire time, managing to get the her to relax at his touch. Her body was cleaned of any ashes, and her mane was only partly brushed. Justified, since all Allura had to work with were her fingers rather than a comb.

"Why did we bring that thing along?" Lance asked. "You couldn't have just left it with the farmer?"

"You heard what he said, Lance." said Keith. "This wasn't one of his animals. Besides, it won't pry off of Allura. We've tried."

"Or didn't try hard enough." Pidge muttered.

"I heard that." Keith said with a deadpan tone… who was literally two feet away from Pidge.

"Aright then, let's see what we have here." Coran adjusted his collar and proceeded to look at the little creature.

She let out an adorable little sound as Allura gently unwrapped the blanket from her almost fully clean body. "It's alright, little one. No one is going to harm you."

Crunching down, with Keith beside her, Allura gently lowered her arms, which ached after keeping them folded around the creature for so long. Tentatively, the little creature placed her cloven hooves onto the cold floor of the castle. Ever so gently, Allura removed her arms and the creature stood upright.

It was covered in scarlet scales from the face to the back and side of its upper torso with a few bits of green scales around where the reds ended, a bright pale yellow underbelly and face while its legs were covered in a soft pinkish coat and had long pointed red ears.

Flowing from her head was a lovely pale pink mane, streaked with purple and light magenta. Two horns grew from opposite sides of its head and a single curved upwards horn stuck out from its forehead, with bangs draped right above her large green eyes. The bat-like wings with green colored membranes were draped to the floor, with one of them burned and full of holes with dried up blood. Her legs wobbled a bit like that of a newborn deer, in which she rivaled in size, and her long reptilian, lion-like tail with hairs that matched her mane gently moved back and forth.

Hunk clapped his hands together, his big brown eyes sparkling. "Awww! It's like if a dragon and a unicorn had a baby!" he crunched down to her level, gently scratching her chin. "Hey, little cutie? Who's a cutie? Who's a pretty girl? You are! Yes, you are!"

"Wait, how can you tell it's a girl?" Lance asked, earning nothing but eye rolls from everyone else.

"Did you ever stay awake in health class? Or any class for that matter?" Pidge said, rubbing her forehead with her thumb.

"What exactly is she, Coran?" Keith asked, "… Coran?"

Unlike everyone else, who were rather accepting of the creature, the older Altean man was literally shaking. His left eye was twitching and they could have sworn they saw the hairs on his mustache go up. He began to stutter.

"A lo-lo-lo-lo-lo-lo…"

"You okay, buddy?" Lance asked, looking genuinely concerned.

"It's a--it's a--it's a--…. _A LONGMA!!_" Coran ran as far as he could from the creature, but not before dragging Allura away from the creature. He took, seemingly out of nowhere, the Altean equivalent of a monkey wrench, and started waving it around like a sword. The paladins, and the creature, all stared in bewilderment.

"Back away, everyone! Quick, move it before it rips the flesh from your bones!"

"Coran, what are you talking about?" Allura angrily shoved her caretaker aside.

"That--_Thing!_\--Is one of the most deadliest, merciless, vile creature in the galaxy!"

"I thought that tittle belonged to the Galra." Lance said.

"Okay, the _second_ most vile creature in the galaxy." Coran paused for dramatic effect, "_The Longma!_" he said in an ominous tone. The lighting around his face dimmed, creating shadows across his face, followed by lightning shooting from behind him, followed by a flash of thunder. Allura just rolled her eyes and returned to the creature, remaining at her side.

"What? This little cutie pie?" Hunk said, while cooing at their little guest, "Are you the most vile creature in the universe? No you're not. Oh, no you're not."

"What exactly is a longma, anyway?" Keith asked.

"I've never heard of them." Allura said.

"Well, not many people have." Coran said. "See, they don't reside in just one planet. They migrate from one to another, and they often stay in seclusion and are rarely seen in the same place twice, so not that much is know about them. Except for the fact that their single curved horns can generate an aura that allows them enough oxygen in order to travel through space."

"Okay. What's so bad about that?" Keith asked, still struggling to find what Coran found to be so frightening about these creatures. From what they gathered, they're no different from any wild herds back on earth, in that they don't stay in one place for very long.

"What's so bad?! They're also viscous carnivores! Rabid killing machines with no impulse control! They'll tear you limb from limb before you ever have the chance to say; "_No! Please! Have mercy!_" Coran said, complete with exaggerative hand gestures and expressions.

All of his warnings fell upon def ears, on account of everyone else was too busy taking turns stroking the little longma's head. Bit by bit, her shyness withered away and she began to feel more comfortable around the paladins.

"Yeah, she's real monster." Lance said with humorous sarcasm. "Oh, look out! She's gonna nuzzle us to death!" he joked, earning multiple laughs from the others.

Coran's face became as red as the Red Lion's armor, stomping his foot in irritation. "I'm telling you! Keeping this thing inside the castle is bad luck! Bad luck on all of us!"

"What do you have against Longmas anyway?" Allura asked.

Coran then dramatically turned to the windows of the castle, the stars coming and going before his eyes. "It was years ago. I was a young cadet, part of the Altean military. The prime of my life."

"Me and my big mouth." Allura muttered, added with a face palm.

"My comrades and I were on a mission to one of the moons of Limphea. I was prepared for anything. Anything… except that one creature.

"A heard of Longma came charging at us without warning. They tore apart our supplies, trampled out telecommunications equipment, left their teeth marks on my fellow cadets, blasted at our ships with their beams, and worse… one of them came at me, pinned me to the ground… and tore apart my grandfather's sash! He gave it to me as good luck present before my first day at the Academy. And it was torn to shreds! Gone! Forever…

"We had no choice, but to survive out in the wilds, until we managed to get our communications working again and call for help. We lasted weeks. Maybe months. Time became a blur. Sure, we all came back stronger and ever. Our wounds healed, and our ships were eventually repaired. But me… I had lost my most valuable treasure that day. Something that can never be replaced…. ever."

"Didn't your grandfather own twenty nine identical versions of that sash?" Allura said, arching an eyebrow and bringing Coran back from his flashback.

"Yes, but that was the _only_ one he had ever given to me! Grandfather was very possessive."

The paladins and longma all blinked, looking at one another and then back at Coran. Keith stood back upright. "Okay, so you had one bad experience with a few longmas."

"It was an entire herd! An army!"

"Right. But, that was a long time ago."

"Keith is right." Allura said, petting the little longma's head, who whinnied with glee. "Besides, she's only a foal. The worse she can possibly do is perhaps chew up the furniture."

"Don't get too confi--Wait, what?! You're not implying we keep her, are you Princess?"

"Well, where else is she supposed to go?"

"Anywhere but here! We'll find her a nice forest where she'll be adopted by a pack of wild animals, who she'll most likely devour within a day. She'll be just fine!"

"Not with an injured wing she won't." Allura stated firmly, her arms protectively around the little longma, who trembled at Coran's idea. "And even if that wasn't the case, she won't survive for long without her mother either."

Saying those words out loud hit Allura right home. The little longma lost her only parent in an unforeseen inferno. So young, frightened, unsure on what would happen next, surrounded by a whole bunch of strangers. Kind strangers, but strangers non the less. Her entire world had been taken from her… just as Altea, Alfor and everything Allura had ever held dear was taken from her. Just as so much had been taken from those feline children from Pymra.

"It's true." Pidge said. "A lot of baby animals rely on the guidance of their mothers in order to survive."

Those words made Keith's heart sting. Aside from the heartbreakingly large number they saw back at the festival surrounding that older woman, how many more children have lost their mothers? Keith had to grow up alone, just as those children would have to now. That journey was always a hard one to take, even if you had company. Company which you were never sure would either remain longer, or leave at any given moment, leaving you with a hardened heart, a longing for companionship, yet a constant fear of rejection that you instinctively push them away.

This little longma was no different from those children. Looking into her emotionally open eyes, he knew he had seen that kind of look before. Sadness, loneliness, and fear of what would happen next, desperately wishing that there was some way to alter the truth just so he wouldn't need to feel the pain. He crunched down to her level, and as if reading his emotions, the little creature nuzzled her nose against his palm. 

"Come on, Coran." Hunk said, gesturing to the baby longma. "You wouldn't just let this little sweetie, cookie cream pie all alone, would you?"

Coran huffed, arms folded firmly over his chest as he turned to the side with his nose held up in the air. He refused to allow this unkept, smelly, filthy beast remain in the castle. Little space mice, he could handle, even if they did leave their "business" in his laundry every once in a while just to tease him. Heck, five teenagers he could handle, but this beast? Never in another ten thousand years.

Knowing he wouldn't budge, Allura spoke once again in an attempt to reason with him. "Coran, I understand how difficult it is to let go of a grudge, but at the same time, you of all people should know how it feels to loose one's family."

She knew she had gotten through to him, for his expression began to soften. Coran darted his eyes towards the longma, who was still nuzzling Keith as he stroked her mane, removing a few strands of leafs and muck from it. Coran didn't want to admit it, but the creature really did appear to be very fond of both the princess and her boyfriend. He immediately took it as a bad sign.

"I'm telling you right now, this is a terrible idea. Horrid. Absolutely abominable!"

It was hard to tell if they caught the last bit, for everyone was already fawning all over their new little friend, who was happily nuzzled in both Keith and Allura's arms. Hunk kept on making baby noises to get her attention, while Pidge even got to scratch her chin, and Lance was already thinking on games to play with her.

Coran groaned in frustration, but narrowed his eyes. "I'm keeping my eye on you, little beastie." he muttered to himself.

(~)

They had never used the healing pods on an animal before, but it didn't take as long as it did for a human, most likely because it was a different species. The little longma had no internal damage, only its injured wing. It slumbered inside the pod, its legs curled close to its chest, laying on its back, ears pressed back against her head as the torn tissue of her wings became disinfected, but the holes still remained.

This worried Allura. How would the poor thing be able to fly with holes on her wings? Would she need to fly? The rational part of her said yes, though the naive side of her hoped she could manage without flying. But, she needed to remind herself this was technically an animal, not a human. She would require every part of her to function properly if she was going to survive on her own when the time arrived.

"So, what exactly are we planing to do with her?" Pidge asked, "Are we keeping her?"

"Ooh, can we?" Lance said excitedly, followed by Hunk.

"Yeah, can we? Can we, please?" The yellow paladin said with big puppy dog eyes.

Allura thought for a moment, looking at the slumbering creature. The wisest thing would be to tend properly to her injuries, give her food and rest, and then find an animal sanctuary somewhere where she will be taken care of further. And yet, this thick, hardened lump in her throat formed the more she thought about the idea.

Her fingers twitched a bit, which she hid from the paladin's view. "Let's just concentrate on tending to her injuries for now. We'll figure something out later."

Keith didn't protest, or gave his own opinion on the mater. He really didn't want to think about wether or not dumping this little one at some orph--_forest_, or sanctuary somewhere was a wise decision. Cross that bridge once they get to it.

The pod finally opened up and the longma stirred awake. She looked well rested, her eyes now shinier than ever and she leaped out of the pod like an excitable youngling. She shook her body dry from the steam and happily galloped towards Keith and Allura, nuzzling at their legs.

The paladins had all changed into their daily cloths, or suit for Allura, with her hair cascading down against her back. "Feeling a lot better, aren't you?" Keith said, ruffling her mane, which earned him a happy whinny sound from her.

The longma outstretched her wings, smiling happily, only to frown and recoil in sadness when she saw that her wings still had holes in the membranes. She flapped them, attempting to fly.

"Oh, careful!" Allura said, reaching out her hand as the creature jumped into the air, but the air that went through her wing caused her to tip over, loose momentum and collapse to the floor. She only managed to get up a couple feet, so the fall wasn't painful. At least, physically it wasn't painful. Emotionally, on the other hand.

Allura cupped her hands close to her mouth, felling regretful towards the poor little creature. Pidge adjusted her glasses, a common quirk whenever she was thinking of something, and studied the injured wing, gently lifting it up to examine the holes.

"Mmm. The holes aren't too large, but not small enough so, I'm afraid flying is going to be a struggle. But, I think I might be able to help fix that."

"You're not planing on sowing those holes, are you?" Lance asked, recoiling a bit at the thought. The idea of stitching one's own tissue, even if for medical purposes, was still something he shuddered at to this very day.

"Not exactly, but I'm pretty sure I can come up with something to cover them up in no time."

"Kind of like an artificial wing?" Hunk asked.

"Something like that." Pidge was taken by surprise when the longma suddenly licked her cheek. The green paladin chuckled. "Aww, you're welcome." she wasn't too surprised that the creature appeared to have, somehow, managed to comprehend something of what Pidge said. From the example she gathered from the mice, some species of alien animals appeared to posses a slightly higher levels of intelligence in comparison to the animals on earth. So, this longma being able to understand at least a bit of what was going on didn't seem so out there.

After licking Pidge, the creature proceeded with nuzzling both Keith and Allura's legs again, then galloped happily around them. She had completely shifted from the terrified little thing curled up into a ball, and was now jumping around like a child on Christmas morning.

"Wow, she _really_ likes you two." Lance said.

Keith and Allura to squat down and pet her, scratch the back of her ears and even rub her scaly back, which was surprisingly smooth to the touch. "I don't see what Coran's so afraid of." Allura said.

"So, should we name her?" Keith asked, somewhat unsurely. "I mean, _can_ we?”

"I… don't see why not." Allura replied with a shrug. What was the harm in naming her? It sure would be easier than constantly calling her just the Longma, or she, her, or it.

Hunk started waving his hand up like a child in class, requesting to answer a question. "Oh, oh! What about something cute like, um…. Shimmer! Or, Starlight! No, no, no, what about Sparkles?"

The other paladins looked at Hunk like he was standing on his head for no reason, and even the longma tilted her head in confusion. "Any other ideas?" Keith said, ignoring Hunk's disappointed pout.

"How about Ashley?" Lance suggested. "You know, cause she was covered in ashes when you found her. Also, she looks like a dragon, and they breath fire, so…"

"No, ashes doesn't feel right for her." Allura said with a shake of her head. "She's far too bright." though she wasn't just referring to the creature's intelligent looking eyes, but more so how bright she was in general. Her bright scales, her bright coat, her bright eyes, her bright spirit as she galloped around her and Keith.

"She's more like… an _ember_ in the ashes."

Keith's eyes widened and he smiled. "Ember… I like that."

Allura giggled when the newly named longma licked her face. "Looks like she agrees."

"Okay, Ember it is, then." Pidge said. Saying the new name out loud only made the little creature whinny and gallop her front legs happily. She stopped only when her stomach started to rumble.

"Oh, looks like somebody's hungry." Hunk said in a cooing tone.

(~)

Little Ember's mouth was already watering seeing the freshly made, perfectly sliced, seasoned slices of meat and ribs from Pymra, shrouded in a special sauce. Hunk had used it as a substitute for barbecue sauce, and just to add a little zing to it, he poured some gravy-like substance over it as well. It looked like something straight out of a cooking show, as did most of his meals.

Rather than place it on the floor, Hunk had Ember sit on a chair in the dinning hall, with the plate in front of her. The other paladins would have said it was unnecessary, but the adorableness of it all was just too much for them to decline.

Ember sniffed the meal a few times… then opened her mouth wide, revealing razor sharp jaws and began devouring the meat as if it were attempting to get away. Droplets of the sauce, and bits of meat were splattered all over Ember's side of the table, with a few bits landing on thefloor and the paladin's shoes, cloths, faces and hair. Thankfully, it wasn't that large of a mess, so all they had to do was wipe the bits off. Though, their cloths and hair would be smelling a bit like barbecue for a little while.

"Well, I'm definitely seeing the carnivore part Coran was talking about." Lance said. He flinched a bit when Ember ripped the skin of the ribs right off of the bones. It was like staring at a lion bitting its jaws into the neck of a gazelle in one of those nature shows.

Hunk, on the other hand, was gushing. "She eats just like my uncle's german shepherd during our annual family cook out." he sighed at the happy memory. "Old Rusty always loved my triple deluxe home made styled burgers."

"Oh man, now _I'm_ hungry!" Lance said with a grunt, then looked at Ember who was still devouring the meat. He leaned in a bit further, "Just to clarify, I am _not_ on the menu."

"Lance!" Allura elbowed him right in the stomach, knocking the wind out of him. He held his hands up in surrender.

"Kidding! I'm kidding!"

The little longma licked every last bit of the sauce from the plate and table until there was nothing left before licking her own mouth. A few bits of that same sauce got caught in her mane. Once she finished she looked up at the paladins. While she had been eating, her pupils became cat-like slits, but had now reverted back to being wide black dots within emerald irises. Seeing the paladins with bits of food on them, Ember gave them a shy smile.

Rather than look annoyed, Keith chuckled and even wiped some of the sauce from the side of her mouth, which she happily licked right off his fingers. Allura then proceeded to remove a few bits of meat from her mane.

"Not very big on table manners, I see." the princess said jokingly.

The doors opened up and Coran walked right on, only to let out a horrified scream. "What happened?!" he exclaimed, seeing the mess Ember had made. "I knew it! I knew that beast would cause trouble!"

"Take it easy, Coran. It's not that big a deal." Keith said.

"Oh sure, you say that now, but--AH!" Coran hurried to the floor, squatting down to see something fuzzy and covered in the red colored sauce. "Oh, no! Is that a tuff of mouse hair covered in blood?! I knew it!" he sprung back up and pointed an accusing finger at Ember, "_She ate the mice!_ Which was it? Was it Platt? You cold hearted monster!"

"Coran!" Allura's voice bounced against the walls, "That's just pocket lint covered in sauce. Platt is fine, the mice are all fine." she pointed to said mice, all of which were accounted for and now gathered up on Keith's shoulders. Platt even waved at Coran.

"You're blowing this completely out of proportion." Keith said, just as Ember leaped from the chair and hurried to his side, right in between him and Allura, in which they both placed their hands on the back of her neck.

"_I'm_ blowing this out of proportion?! I'm not the one who brought a dangerous wild animal into the castle. And now, you're letting it eat at the table as if it were an honored guest? Do I need to tell my story again?"

"_NO!_" The paladins all exclaimed in unison. They already got it the first time, they didn't need a repeat.

"Coran, may we speak with you in private. Please?" Allura said, though judging by her tone it wasn't so much a request or a question, but an outright demand.

Coran stubbornly complied and he, the princess, and Keith proceeded to the door. Ember's ears perked upwards in alarm and hurried behind the two. They stopped and Keith turned to her, speaking in a kind voice.

"We'll be right back, Ember."

The longma managed to comprehend his words and stepped back a bit. To ease her worries, Pidge petted her head, and the mice scurried onto her shoulder. The doors slid closed, and even though they were just on the other side, Ember let out a saddened whimper.

"Ember? Who's Ember?" Coran asked once it was just the three of them.

"It's what we decided to call her." Keith said, his eyes darting back and forth, half expecting Coran to throw a fit. And, he was absolutely right.

"What?! First you let it sit at the table, and now you're giving it names?"

Allura sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose. "Coran, I am sorry about what the longmas did to you and your friends--"

"And my sash!"

"Right. While I do empathize with you not feeling comfortable having her on board, you really shouldn't blame Ember for the fault of her ancestors. When we discovered Keith was part Galra, did you resent him?"

"Of course not, but that was different. Galra weren't always enemies, and Keith here is the love of your life. But that thing in there--" he pointed to the doors that led to the dinning room, "--is a wild animal!"

"Who just lost her mother." Keith stated firmly. "You weren't there when we pulled her out of that fire." his voice lowered, and his eyes darted to the floor as he relived the recent memory. "She was scared and alone." he looked back up at Coran, eyes firm once more. "We can't abandon her."

"Bu--eh--!"

"We understand that she can't live in the castle forever." Allura said. "And once she is properly healed, we will find a safe place for her to roam free. But, until then, she is our responsibility."

"But--you--she can't--"

"She's _staying_." Keith said, ending the discussion right then and there.

Coran wanted to protest. These two were behaving completely irrationally. This wasn't just some orphan child, this was a wild animal. But judging by the reluctant stares he received from the two co-leaders meant that no matter what he said, they have made up their minds. Coran bit the inside of his cheek to keep himself from screaming in rebellion… only to drop his shoulders in crushing defeat.

"Very well. But if anything goes wrong--which I'm positive it will--don't say I didn't warn you."

"_Keith! Allura! Get in here quick!_" Lance's voice boomed from the other side of the doors.

"Aha! I knew it!" Coran came bursting through, "I'll save you Platt!--…What?"

Platt hadn't been eaten… he was happily sliding down Ember's tail while the rest of the mice bounced off of her wings like trampolines. One of the mice was even braiding her long mane. Hunk was laughing while Lance took pictures with his phone, and Pidge was recording it with her computer's mini camera.

"Isn't that the cutest thing you've ever seen?" Lance said, his voice slightly higher pitched, unable to contain himself.

"This is so going as my new screensaver!" Pidge said, her big brown eyes sparkling. Even she wasn't immune to such cuteness.

Keith and Allura smiled as they watched Ember play with her new little friends, all the while their friends were behaving like happy parents and relatives gushing all over a newborn baby. In a way, Ember was kind of like a newborn. She was new, and while not exactly recently born, she was still very young. Too young to be left out on her own right now.

Rationally, it would make sense for them to place this animal in the hands of an expert but, for Keith and Allura… there was something else that compelled them not to leave behind this little one.

Something so much more personal that it overtook most of their rational thinking.

(~)

Back on Pymra, the citizens had finished cleaning up the remains of the festival, while other workers cleaned up the remains from the forest fire. But, while everyone else was working, a shadowy figure had just finished cutting off the third horn off of its latest kill. However, he was not happy. He was payed to bring back two of these creatures, and yet he only found one.

However, he heard from one of the workers something about the paladins having taken something with them. Using his scanner on the disembodied horn, his device started to beep, showcasing where the nearest energy signal that matched could be found. It was even stronger than the one from the adult horn, meaning it was fresh for the picking. Not to mention these were very, very hard to come by now a days. 

A wicked smile pursed his reptilian lips. He could smell the money already.

(~)

Throughout the entire afternoon, Ember never once left Keith or Allura's side. Whenever she felt they were getting too far away, she would spring forward and hurriedly catch up to them, looking almost terrified. The couple concluded that, despite her curious nature, she was still shaken by the events back on Pymra.

Every minute Keith and Allura spent with her, they kept on noticing little details. Her large eyes which radiated with innocence, the way she seemed to somehow comprehend some of the things they said almost as easily as a well trained dog, even noticing how she reacted to things she saw within the castle.

She looked up in awe at the ball room and tapped the keyboards of Pidge's computer with her hoof. Thankfully, she didn't cause any damage had Pidge not swooped in to scoop up her laptop.She even tried flying again to try and see the lions up close, but sadly lowered her head when she could only leap a few feet into the air. Pidge had already scanned Ember's wings and got to work on her little project.

After exploring the castle, the two agreed that Ember would not rest well if she slept alone. They at first suggested she sleep with Kalteneker inside the holographic chamber, but she immediately started rapidly shaking her head and whinnying in terror, begging for them not to leave her alone. The only thing that would calm her was when Allura said she could sleep in her room that night.

Once they entered the princess's chambers, Ember started looking around, jumping back a bit when she saw her reflection in the full body mirror. Keith and Allura chuckled when she started jumping up and down and seeing her reflection do the same thing. Allura then pulled out a rather small looking hairbrush and ran it through Ember's long mane, smoothing it down. It was soft against her fingers, like silk. Keith quietly observed as Allura brushed their new friend's hair, perfectly in her element.

"This was the first hairbrush my mother had given me." Allura said, speaking to Keith while still focusing on her task. "I haven't used it in years." Ember practically purred at the sensation of the brush being run through her mane, making it look slick and shinny.

Ember's eyes darted towards Keith and she let out an adorable whinny sound, it made Keith chuckle. "Looking pretty good, Ember." that must have been what she wanted to hear, for she whinnied happily in reply. "I think she's going to be just fine." Keith said before walking towards Allura, who stood up for a moment, briefly stopping her brushing on Ember's mane and she looked up in alarm.

The couple shared a quick kiss goodnight and Keith petted Ember's head. "I'll see you girls in the morning." Just as he was about to leave, Ember sprung forward and stopped right in between Keith and the door, looking desperately frightened. Her legs were trembling and her irises shrunk a bit, as if she had just witnessed something terrible.

"I think she wants both of us to sleep with her tonight." Allura concluded, picking up on the creature's body language. Keith would have been the bigger man and left so Ember wouldn't be so afraid, but the familiarity of her frightened stare kept him where he was. He soothed her nerves by petting her head.

"It's okay. I'm not going anywhere. I promise." his words immediately calmed her down.

"Well then, could you perhaps… leave for a few moments so I can… get changed?" Allura asked, a tint of red sprinkled her cheeks.

"Oh! Uh, sure, no problem. Just, let me know when you're done." Keith said, stuttering like an idiot. "Come on, Ember. Let's give her a few minutes."

The two walked outside for a while. It didn't take long for Allura to slip into her nightgown, and since Keith was accustomed to either sleeping in his cloths or in a pair of gray pajama pants, all he had to do was remove his blazer jacket.

It was still early in the night, so both paladins sat on the floor, their backs against the bed with Ember spread across their laps, warmly wrapped in their security. She stirred a bit, struggling to sleep. Every time she closed her eyes for too long, she would jolt awake, her body trembling.

Allura stroked her newly brushed mane while Keith rubbed her back. "You miss her, don't you?" Ember looked up at the princess, eyes wide and sad, mirroring Allura's own emotions flawlessly. "I know. I lost my family too."

Ember's ears twitched in surprise, her eyes then looking at Keith, his equally saddened eyes. "We both did." he said. Ember's heart sank and the couple felt guilty for having made her even sadder than she already was.

"But, we're not alone anymore." Keith said, speaking in the softest, most comforting voice that wrapped around Ember like a blanket. "And neither are you."

"So long as we're here, you won't be." Allura said. That was more a promise than a fact. Her words cast their magic spell, and Ember relaxed, allowing herself to be lost in their affectionate touch.

Allura hummed softly, the soft sound was like an echo within the large royal bedchamber. It was a wordless melody, and yet it carried more emotion than any words ever could. Ember's body rose and lowered in a steady rhythm, her ears partly twitching but only so she could hear Allura's song better.

In a few moments, Ember was sound asleep. Allura had her head on Keith's shoulder, the two peacefully stroking Ember's mane as she slept. They dared not move from where they were, not wanting to startle her. Heaven knows she's had enough frights for one day.

The smile on Keith's face all throughout Allura's humming slowly morphed into a frown. The memory of seeing that adult longma's burning corpse made his skin crawl and his chest ache. The echoes of a young boy crying out for his mother boomed in Keith's ears, followed by the cries for his father before finally morphing into cries for the missing Black Paladin. Memories of when Allura would mourn her lost family, her lost planet, the familiarity of loneliness, fear and longing for companionship, yet equal terror of loosing it was something that reflected in his own eyes as well.

It was then he realized that the free hand he had wrapped around Allura's waist slightly tightened protectively. The princess didn't appear to mind, for she slightly adjusted herself to scoot even closer to Keith than she already was. Their bodies fitting perfectly like two puzzle pieces with little Ember comfortably on their laps.

Allura let out a relaxed sigh and smiled. She knew she could never restore the lost parents those children from Pymra had lost, and she knew she nor Keith could ever be a replacement for Ember's mother. But so long as Allura had any say in the matter, she would not allow Ember to feel that same loneliness Allura felt for ten thousand years in the Astral Plane. And Keith made certain Ember would not feel as alone or helpless as he did growing up.

The mice scurried up and slumbered around Ember's legs and wings, and the two paladins eventually dozed off in a dreamless sleep.

(~)

This little rascal was moving fast. For the past couple of days, the cloaked figure followed the energy signature, and it was in constant movement.

Had somebody already collected the animal? If so, then this hunt just became a lot more interesting. After all, what good was a hunt without cracking a few necks in the process? And if these ammeters believed they could get away with his ticket to riches, then they were very, very sadly mistaken.

(~)

Coran entered the green lion's hangar, finding Pidge typing away on her computer. Hunk was working with some materials beside him, while Lance was leaning closer to see what Pidge was working on.

"Good morning, paladins. Have you seen--Um, what's that you got there?"

"Huh?" Pidge jerked her head up and turned around to face him. "Oh, hey Coran. Sorry, I'm just working out the final kinks for Ember's artificial membranes."

"Oh, they are gonna look so cute on her!" Hunk said excitedly as he fiddled with the materials, following the schematics on the computer screen. "Lance, make sure you record every second."

"Way ahead of you, buddy." Lance said, already scrolling through his phone, playing videos he took of Ember in the last couple of days. Things were pretty slow, so the paladins were free to relax for a little while, and play with their newest little addition.

The videos and pictures Lance took varied from Ember playing with the mice, hiding behind Keith's legs whenever something bright and flashy went off on the castle control room. Her face covered in crumbs from the cookies Hunk had made one night. He should have been mad, but the scene was just too cute for him not to smile and laugh at it.

Pidge was hard at work at making the membranes for Ember. The poor little thing tried so hard to flap her wings several times in the past two days. Pidge was eager to see her up in the air where she belonged. Ember one time snuck up on Pidge and noticed the design on her computer. Curious little one cocked her head, and Pidge happily showed her the gift she was making her. She started explaining how it worked in scientific terms, but when it was painfully obvious that the little longma did not understand a word she was saying, she merely simplified it and said it would make her fly.

Ember galloped and licked Pidge's face like a puppy dog. She tumbled Pidge from her seat several times just to greet her. For a little deer sized thing she sure was strong. The green paladin couldn't get upset, her new friend's way of showing affection reminded her too much of her own family dog back home.

Lance was especially fond of the little longma. He even made her a cute little lion plushie for her to play with… which she had torn up within a few minutes. The little one did play roughly, it would seem. But, thankfully, the head was still in tact, so she happily kept it with her, and even shared with her little mice friends. Lance took every chance he had to commemorate every moment with the little one. She reminded him of his nephews and nieces back home.

In fact, having Ember around was basically just like everyone was back home. She was the closest thing to "normal" they've had in a long time. But there was one person who still wasn't at all too happy about the new addition. That person was, of course, Coran.

While everyone else was blissfully distracted by the creature's big, shinny green eyes, he was more aware of the messes she made. The food she would spill all over the table, the bits of cotton she left in her wake after tearing up Lance's plushie, which, for some strange reason, he wasn't even angry about, but instead found it adorable. And of course, she kept sleeping in the princess's bedroom. One morning, he found both Keith and Allura (fully clothed), sleeping on the bed with Ember in between them, curled up and with both of their arms draped over her.

A filthy animal sleeping on the princess's bed and nobody had bated an eye about it. It was as if the entire world had disappeared and all that mattered was this little beast who managed to bewitch everyone in such a short amount of time.

"Awww, remember this one?" Lance showed Pidge and Hunk another picture, and both immediately blushed at the image.

Hunk squealed. "Ember's first bath. She kept on shaking soap off of her mane. It was sooo adorable!"

"It was yesterday!" Coran shouted, getting their attention. It was as if he was invisible. "Honestly, what has gotten into everybody?! We're trying to form a collation here and you're all frolicking around with this little monster as if she were a newborn baby!"

"Well, technically speaking, by animal years she is a baby." Pidge clarified.

Coran groaned, face palming himself. "Has anyone seen Keith and Allura?"

(~)

"Aha!" Keith poked his head behind the holographic tree, but found nothing. He scratched the back of his neck, getting his fingers partly tangled in his unkept raven hair. Allura too had been looking around, a smirk manifested on her lips and she subtly nodded her head to the side.

Keith took notice and smirked her way. "Well, it looks like she's not here." he said, trying as best he could to mask his amusement.

"Afraid not." Allura said with a shrug, she too unable to fully mask the mischievous gleam in her eyes. "Let's go and check Kalteneker's barn again."

"Good idea."

The two made their way towards where the earth cow resided since Pidge and Lance purchased her. They bypassed a large hollow tree, and once they were gone, Ember slowly poked her head out of the large hole. Just as she was about to make a quick get away, two heads poked from behind the tree.

"Gotcha!"

Ember let out a frightened whinny noise which quickly changed into one of delight. The couple laughed as Ember leaped up high and tackled them both. Allura's loose hair was spread out across the holographic grass, she and Keith the surprised Allura with a peck on the cheek.

It had been so long since the two of them could just have some time to themselves. To laugh and be silly like they used to back on the Astral Plane. While their new roles as co-leaders didn't strain their relationship, if anything it helped strengthened it, it was still nice to go back to those less chaotic times where they could let their guards down and embrace a little bit of the silliness that came with being young. Which more often than not, was rather limited for the paladins now a days.

Having Ember in the castle had been such a delight. Keith and Allura became more and more attached to their little friend with each passing minute. Spending time with Ember brought back memories from when Allura and her father would play in the fields, or when Keith would tussle with his father. And Ember was just as happy. She hadn't shivered in her sleep since that first night she slept beside them, and she grew more and more curious and rambunctious by the day.

"What's all this then?"

Keith and Allura turned around to see Coran standing a few feet away, passing the doorframe, arms crossed and huffing. Ember jumped back, and Keith took Allura's hand like a gentleman, assisting her back to her feet. "Oh, Coran. We didn't hear you come in." said the princess, dusting the pants of her suit, which really wasn't necessary seeing as the grass wasn't real.

"I can see that." said the older Altean with a scowl, meant for Ember. The longma stood beside Allura, ears dropped shyly. She was fully aware of Coran's dislike of her, and did everything she could to avoid his disapproving glares.

"What were you two doing?"

"Just playing with Ember." Keith said, still smiling. "No big deal."

"Yes. Well, while you two were fooling around, I received word from Kolivan a few tics ago."

And just like that, that carefree aura that surrounded them had been crumbled down by the wrecking ball that was reality. It was an art the way their expressions could go from free-spirited to steadfastly focused in almost a blink.

"What happened?" Keith asked, even his tone had taken a shift. This kind of change should have concerned Ember, but really it sounded like something that would have come out of his mouth.

"Kolivan and a few other blades came into contact with some rebel forces. They lost their supply ship about a day ago to a Galra fleet on its way to the base. The passengers came out unscarred, but everything else on the ship was lost."

Coran didn't need to finish the rest of the story. Keith and Allura had already connected the dots. If one fleet managed to destroy an entire shipment of medical and food supplies, that could only mean that if the rebels left now, another fleet might not be far behind.

"Tell Kolivan we're on our way." Allura said. "Voltron will provide cover for the rebels and the blades as we escort them to Okarion."

Ember looked up at the two, a look that was hard to distinguish if it was one of concern, confusion, or hesitation. Keith's eyes softened when he made eye contact.

"Sorry, kiddo. We'll play again later."

(~)

Allura piloted the castle, following the coordinates Kolivan had sent them. The screen flashed and the Galra rebel alerted the team that the Galra fleet had already found them. Lance groaned, "They just can't make this easy for us, can they?"

"Everyone suit up. Let's get to our lions." Keith had said those words so many times, it was starting to become second nature to him.

Once suited up, Ember approached Keith and Allura. The princess had just pulled her hair up into its signature bun, and the little longma began to whimper sadly, no doubt asking in her own language where they were going. That same sinking feeling of guilt gurgled within the couple's stomachs. They weren't abandoning her, but they knew that in the eyes of a young motherless child it would seem that way.

Keith squatted down, cupping Ember's lower chin while stroking her cheek with his thumb. "It's alright, Ember. We do this kind of stuff all the time, but we always come back."

He sounded so sure of those words. So confident as if they had been written in stone, and there they will remain. But Keith had come to learn that the certitude of those words was not always so. It was a very loose chain which could break at a moment they least expect. But staring into Ember's worried, lonely eyes, Keith chose to tuck the harsh reality away, and instead hold tightly to everything working itself out in the end.

"I promise. We'll be back." Keith said with upmost confidence. So long as he believed it, Ember would as well.

As if Allura didn't have enough reasons to love Keith already. Seeing his interactions with Ember made her heart swell. She too was aware that things weren't as cookie, clear cut as Keith had made it sound, but fear was the last thing Allura wanted for Ember. They would come back. Ember won't be alone.

The princess's blue eyes sparkled, an idea lit up in her mind. "Wait a tic."

Thankful she hadn't placed her helmet on yet, she removed one of her earrings and managed to clip it onto Ember's ear. She tapped it once and when she spoke into the one still dangling from her ear, her voice came out from the other, clear as day.

"There we go. This way, we can always reach each other. Even if we're far away." Allura said. Ember licked her face, accidentally licking her mouth as well, to which Allura only laughed at. The two paladins put on their respected helmets and hurried down to their lions's hangars.

Ember took a tentative step forward, but the doors had already slid behind them. The mice all scurried up, resting on her head and back. Speaking in their animal language of squeaks and nose wiggles, the mice explained to Ember exactly what the paladins did.

Ember stayed in the control room, keeping a tolerable amount of distance between her and Coran, who still gave her the stink eye from behind his shoulder. In a ray of multicolored streams that illuminated the darkness of space, the five lions emerged from the castle and dove right into the chaos that was the large, ugly looking ships shooting purple lasers at the people down bellow.

She watched from the screen on the computer as large, muscular people with dark cloths and glowing purple lines, masked and hooded, fought against metal looking things with guns, or shielding innocent people. Several of which also fought. The lions dove right into the fight, dodging incoming lasers but without cowering in fear. Ember's body trembled when she saw the Blue and Black Lions--Allura and Keith--shooting down at various smaller, pointed edged ships with the beams that came shooting from their respected lion's mouths.

She listened to Allura's voice as well as Keith's. She heard him saying an order, with Allura right by his side, and the paladins following his directions without much question. They were so in sync, it was as if they were one creature. Hearing their voices made Ember feel less alone, and less afraid.

Allura's beams caused the ships to freeze in mid air, allowing for Keith to zoom in, using a sharp object that came out of his lion's mouth to slice through them. Hunk's lion bit onto the ships, throwing them into one another and using its massive armor to smash them to bits. The lasers bounced right off of him.

Pidge's lion shot beams that made roots grow from within the ships, causing them to break from the inside out. Ember's trembling slowly ceased and her eyes sparkled as she watched the lions defend the innocent people beneath them. Flashes of when her mother had protected her from threats and hunters came and went with each lion that came into view on the screen.

Ember had very little memories of her mother, but what she did remember was that she always did everything she could to protect her. They only every looked out for each other and no one else. But these paladins, they were't just looking out for each other, but for others. At first, Ember didn't understand until the mice explained it to her.

The last two days Ember had learned of the paladins, and that they fought these bad guys called the Galra. That not all of them were bad, but a lot of them liked hurting people. She didn't think much on it, since all she wanted was to be around Keith and Allura as much as possible. But now, seeing the paladins, her friends, in action like this, it awoke something within her.

A bubbling sensation rose up within her stomach. Fervid and fighting its way out, growing more and more with each new attack the lion's made. But, when Lance shot his rays of fire at one of the ships, which resulted in its side to melt, that bubbling sensation had twisted into a hard knot.

Ember's body froze in place, her mind becoming fogy. All she could see were flashes of red and yellow and the scorching heat that had torn holes in her wings filled her mind. Her pupils slowly turned into slits, her teeth becoming bare and a growl clawed its way up her throat. Her gaze was unfocused, she wasn't looking at anything specific, only that she had a sudden urge to act upon her anger. And act now.

The mice tugged on her ears, squeaking frantically at her to snap out of it. Ember shook her head, her mane flipping over her slender, reptilian neck, and her eyes returned to normal. Her vision focused and she saw Lance's attack again. This time, she didn't flinch, because when she heard Lance's excitable laugh and his lion hurrying to shield several more innocents with his own lion, she knew Lance's fire power was the last thing she needed to be afraid of.

The fight carried on, and one by one the ships all went down. Ember observed the lion's movements, mimicking their stances, leaping up and down as if she could fly along with them. Keith's voice was heard once more, stronger than ever.

"Form Voltron!"

The mice all squeaked excitedly, telling Ember that this was the best part. The little longma stared wide eyed with her mouth agape as the five lions merged together to create some large, giant thing with massive wings and was larger than anything she had ever seen. And yet, she didn't feel intimidated by it. If anything, she felt as safe before it as she did when she was wrapped in Keith and Allura's arms.

Voltron used its shoulder cannon to blast at the rest of the fleet hovering over the planet, before slicing through the larger ship with its massive sword. It exploded in a fiery inferno, and Ember shielded herself with her good wing. It was so bright it was hard to see. Once the scene had cleared, Voltron stood victorious and with everyone safe and secure, they escorted the rebels back to Olkarion, flying beside them the entire time.

Ember knew that, even after the fight was over, Voltron was still protecting them. That same bubbly feeling in her stomach returned. Stronger than ever before.

(~)

Upon arriving on Olkarion, Ember sprung out of the castle, seeing all the various species of all shapes, colors and sizes walking back and forth. She saw the four lions, massive and powerful, yet comforting all the same. The Black and Blue lions were positioned close together and she galloped in their direction. She could see the faintest hint of white, pink and red amongst the crowd.

"Have you heard anything new about Lotor?" Keith asked Kolivan. Allura stood right beside him, their hands barely brushing off against one another.

"Sadly, no. I have agents scouted around every quadrant. They may have found some clues to a few hidden military Galra bases, but we're waiting for further information to be sure."

Throughout the conversation, Keith bore a somber expression that rivaled even Kolivan's. Every bone in Keith's body was telling him that Lotor was planing something, and something big. The fact that he hasn't show up, or made himself known at this point didn't place Keith's mind at ease at all. If anything, the Galra prince's absence only made his restlessness even more intolerable in Keith's eyes.

His attention shifted to Allura, who bared the same serious look in her eyes, and yet the aura of serenity she always carried was what helped his nerves settle. He was so fortunate to have her beside him throughout this whole leadership deal, and the situation with Lotor.

The sound of happy whinnies made the couple whirl around to see Ember galloping towards them. Their once somber expressions transformed into beaming smiles once they were reunited with their little friend.

"See, I told you we'd be back." Keith ruffled her mane, making it a complete mess, which made Ember whinny happily. "Didn't I? Yes, I did!" he chuckled when Ember started licking his face, and the started to lick Allura.

Ember's eyes then shocked open when she saw Kolivan. Her ears dropped shyly and the two paladins stood back up. "It's alright, Ember. Kolivan is a friend." Allura said softly to the little creature.

Kolivan cocked his head a bit in curiosity. Ember whinnied in reply, her way of a greeting. "Hello, Ember." he said, rather unsurely. Clearly he was more accustomed to more formal meetings rather than casual ones.

Ember's attention was then drawn to the Blue and Black lions and she began galloping about, taking on the various poses she saw the lions do during battle, pretending to fight a Galra fleet herself. Her wings were spread out, the sunlight entering through the holes on her membranes. Her antics made Keith and Allura laugh.

"Anyway," Kolivan began, grabbing their attention. "I'll be sure to alert you both once we are certain of anything."

"Thank you, Kolivan." Allura said, bowing her head in respect. A few months ago, she would had scoffed at the idea of ever showing a Galra any form of respect. A small smile formed on her lips at the irony, and yet she felt content with the change.

Once Kolivan had left, Ember then turned her head left and right, spotting the various newcomers to the planet and all the things they brought with them. She even spotted Lance and Pidge assisting a few of them, handing them these thin metal boxes, which seemed to make these people very happy.

"Would you like to take a look around?" Allura asked, placing her hands on her knees. Ember nodded her head excitedly and they took her around the base they were making, aided by the Olkarions. The little longma's head turned from left to right, back and forth, taking in all the difference species around her.

They stopped when a group of younger aliens exited one of the ships. Some were already playing ball with one another. Ember cocked her head in curiosity. She didn't know these creatures could come any smaller than Pidge, but they didn't look like Pidge. Pidge was smart and brave, while these smaller ones looked almost like… bigger babies.

Her ears dropped a bit when she saw the children running towards their respected parents. Ember looked up at Keith and Allura, whinnying in a way that sounded almost like a question.

"These people have all lost something too." Keith said, his voice softer and even sad. "They're homes, families. The Galra has taken nearly everything from them."

Ember whinnied once more, gently taping her hoof onto the ground, specifically addressing the planet they were on.

"Why are they here?" Allura asked, making sure if that was the question Ember was getting at. The creature nodded and Allura smiled. "Because, even if they have lost so much, there is one thing the Galra could never take away from them. And that is hope."

Ember looked even more confused than ever. What was "hope"? Why was it so important to these aliens if they had to leave their homes and go somewhere else?

"Still don't get it?" Keith said. Ember nodded. "Well, take me and Allura for example. She lost her entire planet to the Galra ten thousand years ago."

Ember's jaw dropped and her widened eyes turned to Allura. "Yes, I know, I don't look a day over two hundred." she joked. This was probably the first time she had ever joked about it. It just felt like a little lightheartedness was needed in order to better explain this to the curious Ember.

"But it's true." Allura's voice became softer, but kept a reassuring smile all throughout. "Because of the Galra, I had been alone for a very long time. Of course, I was in a frozen sleep through most of it, but believe me, when I awoke, I felt as though everything around me had shattered." her smile evaporated. Despite her attempts, no small quip could ever shake away the pain of that memory.

Ember felt the princess's pain. That was exactly how she felt when her mother died. She had been killed by a burning tree that landed on her and Ember was too scared and weak to do anything.

Allura gently cupped her chin, her beautiful, serene smile returning. "But, even with the loss, I wasn't always alone." she looked up and her cheeks became red. Ember noticed she was staring at Keith, and he too gained a somewhat dreamy look in his eyes that rivaled Allura's.

"After I met Keith, everything became brighter. I made a friend, we found the lions of Voltron, and now we are working side by side to fight back against the Galra. Keith had restored my faith that things could work out, no matter how bleak the circumstances."

"And now, we're helping others realize that too." Keith continued. "I was on my own for a very long time until a good friend helped point me in the right path. When I met Allura, she inspired me to fight for something bigger than myself. That's what Voltron is all about. What our team is all about."

Ember's eyes sparkled with interest. Everything they were saying made perfect sense. And… it also explained why they saved her from the fire instead of just leaving her to die. She wasn't too different from them, and she wasn't too different from these rebels either. Most of her memories were of herself and her mother wandering in the wild, hunting in order to survive but… now she was seeing there was so much more to life than just the forests and the trees.

The paladins gave these people a second chance, just as Keith and Allura had given her a second chance. Ember's heart swelled and she spread her wings open, ignoring the glaring holes, and using them she requested one thing from the paladins.

A hug. A clever little one indeed, they thought as they hugged their little longma.

The ball the children were playing with rolled in their direction, stoping at Ember's legs. The children ran up to retrieve it, and stopped for a moment once they noticed Ember. Rather than be afraid, they happily petted her head, gushing over how adorable she was and so forth.

Keith and Allura watched happily, fingers intertwined as Ember was welcomed into the group with open arms. They even invited her to play with them, much to her surprise. One child gently kicked the ball and encouraged Ember to do so as well. She gave it a gentle kick and noticed how it rolled. Inspired by the other children's enthusiasm, Ember kicked it even harder, and before long, she was playing with the rebel children.

Keith and Allura nodded, saying she was allowed to go and play. Allura tapped her single earring, reminding Ember that if she ever needed them to just contact them through it.

With that, Ember was off playing with the children like she was one of them. The couple stood there in content silence, watching happily as Ember interacted with the children. The promise they made to Coran about how they would return her to the wild where she belonged once she was properly healed was nearly already erased from their minds. How could they send her away now? It didn't seem right anymore. Ember wasn't just some wild animal, she was a part of their team. A part of their family. They wouldn't abandon her once, and they weren't going to abandon her now. Or ever.

The moment was, somewhat, ruined when Lance suddenly just showed up out of nowhere and started taking pictures. "Awww! Hunk, Pidge, look! Ember's first time playing with other kids!" he wiped away a single tear, even his lower lip was quivering. "They grow up so fast!"

Hunk and Pidge practically gained up on him so they could get a better look. Keith and Allura playfully rolled their eyes and shook their heads. Ember continued to play, seamlessly fitting into their circle so well, with one of the children's mother organizing the materials they had brought with them, including an old lantern.

Allura then noticed that Coran was, once again, being a grump about the whole thing. She had never seen him hold a grudge for this long. As much as he insisted it was the sash that bugged him, she knew it was just a way to mask the reality that he felt humiliated at the hands--or rather, hooves--of those creatures long ago during his years as a young cadet. His service to the Altean royal family were things he took very seriously. To heart, even.

Still, while she could understand his being upset, it didn't change the fact that what happened was in the past. Nothing can change it. The world moves on, and so should he. Or maybe she was just speaking out of personal experience. Holding onto a grudge is actually more painful and more exhausting, both emotionally and mentally, than learning to let go. It was a weight Allura was glad to have been rid of once she accepted not all Galra were wicked. Coran should do the same with Ember.

Especially with the decision she had made in her mind.

She turned to Keith, who he too was looking at Coran. She whispered into his ear and the new Black Paladin nodded in agreement. Keith patted Lance on the back, who was still occupied with filming. "You guys keep an eye on Ember for a while. We'll be back."

Lance gave him a simple wave of the hand, not once taking his eyes off of Ember and the kids, while the couple approached Coran. He was looking through some things in his small little space ipad, but really he was just trying not to draw attention to himself. He had a hunch as to why these two would approach him right now. He wasn't exactly being subtle about it right now. Not that he ever was.

"I see we're letting the little beastie play with innocent children now." Coran said, forcing a dignified tone, but really he was just being a bit immature. Allura groaned in annoyance, then sighed in an effort to calm herself.

"This is gonna be harder than I thought." Keith whispered to Allura.

"What's going to be harder?" Coran asked, causing the couple to flinch. He had taken a couple steps forward the moment he heard the Black Paladin speak.

"Coran. I know these past two days haven't been to your liking, and I'll admit that is on us." Allura said, earning Coran's interest. His hopes were already rising as she continued. "And, Ember does seem to have improved in health, all that's missing is for Pidge's device to work. We've noticed the rest of the paladins have grown very fond to her and vice versa and… well, Keith and I have been thinking that, perhaps--"

"We leave her in an animal preserve and never look back?" Coran concluded, his eyes sparkling with glee before jumping up and down. "Hoozah!" he cheered before doing a happy victory dance.

Keith and Allura gave him deadpan expressions as he danced like a looney toon. "That's not what she was saying." Keith said, making Coran freeze in place.

"I'm sorry, come again?"

"We've actually decided it's in Ember's best interest if she… stayed with us." Allura finished. Keith wrapped his arm around her waist and Coran's jaw dropped, his eyes wide in horror.

"_WHAT?!_ Have you two gone mad?!" Coran's scream was so loud it literally created a gust of wind that blew Keith's bangs back. "You said, and I quote: "Once she is properly healed, we will find a safe place for her to roam free.", Unquote!"

"But do we really need to?" Keith said, "She's got along great with everyone, the mice love her, she's very well behaved, and she feels perfectly at home in the castle. If we leave her somewhere now she'll think we're abandoning her."

"It's not abandoning if it's where she belongs!" Coran stated.

Both paladins were well aware that Ember, biologically speaking, was in fact an animal. But, she had been such a delightful addition to the team, and she was smart enough to understand what she should and shouldn't do. Sure, she was a bit messy, but she was young, she would grow out of it. Besides, after everything she had seen, after everything they have told her, promising she would never be alone, they couldn't go back on that promise.

"I'm sorry, Coran. But we can't do that." Allura said.

"I knew this would happen. I knew this would happen!" Coran kept pacing back and forth, his face growing redder with anger. "First with the feeding, then the naming, and the coddling, and the playing hide and seek. It was bound to happen, and it did!"

"What?"

"You two! You've fallen in love with the little thing, and now you've both lost perspective!"

"We haven't lost perspective!" Keith shouted, already gaining up on the Altean man. That familiar ferocity in his eyes returning, which even made Coran himself sweat. "I'm not abandoning her!"

"Keith! Allura!" Pidge came running as fast as her legs could carry her, panting once she arrived. "It's Ember!"

"Is she okay?" Allura asked, terror edged on her face.

"She's going crazy!"

"What?"

(~)

The terrified screams grew louder and louder as the paladins and Coran reached to where they last saw Ember. Children and families stepped away, terrified of something. Hunk and Lance caught up to the others.

"What's going on?" Keith asked.

"I don't know!" Lance replied. "I was just filming Ember, then next thing we know--" The sound of a crate tumbling down and children running away in terror cut him short.

Ember jumped out from behind it, her pupils now cat-like slits, angry and menacing like a blood thirsty beast with her teeth bare. The children't toys had fallen out of their boxes and Ember, in her blind range, trembled all over them, breaking apart little dolls, tearing plush animals in two and breaking anything that was made of glass. She wasn't even aiming at anything specific, she was just going about like a savage, blindly terrorizing anything in her path.

Keith and Allura were at a loss for words. This wasn't the same sweet, innocent little baby they had taken in. Ember looked all around, as if trying to find something, but her rage filled eyes were unfocused, cloudy even. They wondered if she could even see what she was doing, of if she could see any of them at all. From the corner, a woman with a bite mark on her arm was shielded by her husband and sister. Keith and Allura stepped forward in an attempt to try and speak to their friend.

"Ember, take it easy!" Keith called out. He could hear the rebels shouting at him to use his bayard, but he refused to use his weapon on her. The very idea made him feel nauseous. "It's okay, girl. It's me, Keith."

The angry creature snarled and snapped her jaws at the air. Her gaze was half looking at Keith and half looking at nothing in specific. All she could see were shapes and colors of red and black. She couldn't even hear words anymore. Everything went away and all she could feel and think was anger, rage and vengeance.

Ember's breathing was haggard and sharp, but she did manage to stay still for a bit when Keith spoke. The Black Paladin tentatively stepped closer. "There we go. It's me and Allura. Everything's going to be okay."

"We're here, Ember." Allura spoke, her voice soft and comforting. It seemed to have had some effect for Ember's snarling slowly began to dimmer, yet her eyes remained unfocused.

"Don't be afraid. We're not going to harm you." Allura took another step, seeing Ember somewhat respond. The longma tried to look at her, and then at Keith but she could barely make them out. Her pressed back ears partly twitched when they spoke, trying to make out their voices.

It was then her pupils darted for a split second towards something beside the injured woman. The rage within Ember stirred and she lunged forward, completely ignoring Keith and Allura, running right past them and towards the already injured woman, who grasped her bitten arm.

Ember leaped, jaws wide and teeth ready to cling onto her flesh once more. A bright light of serene blue snapped her from her red-eyed trance for a split second before it knocked her down. It struck her hard on her side, causing her to whimper from the impact. Her body ached as she rolled onto the ground, the dust rising upwards and dirtying her scales. Her eyes fluttered open and everything was clear once more. The colors, the smells, it was all coming back to her. She could see the sky, smell the metal of the ships… and see the terror in everyone's eyes.

All she remembered was seeing flashes of flames, then nothing but rage. The faint sound of Keith and Allura's voices, that blue glow, then nothing. Looking up, children and parents trembled in fear, even the ones she had been playing with. She turned her head and her now normal eyes widened when se saw Allura.

The Altean princess had her bayard in hand, her blue whip spread across the ground like a slumbering snake. That was the blue glow which struck her down. It hurt. It hurt so very much. Allura's eyes shimmered and her hands trembled. She had no choice, Ember was about to attack an innocent. Her instincts acted first and she lunged her whip at Ember. She was unharmed, but the fact that Allura needed to use her own weapon against her friend was… heart wrenching.

Keith was at a loss for words. He knew why Allura had done what she did, but that didn't make it any less shocking. Allura's bayard reverted back to normal and she nearly tumbled back upon seeing the terror and confusion in Ember's eyes. She wobbled as she got back up on her four legs and flinched when people started shouting at her.

"Get that thing out of here!"

"Cage it!"

"It destroyed my supplies!"

Ember looked all around at the destruction she had caused, at the anger and the horror she saw in the other paladins. She took a tentative step towards Hunk, and she recoiled when he flinched. Even he was scared of her. She turned to look at Keith and Allura again. Unlike Hunk, they didn't flinch when she approached, but Coran stepped in between them, wielding some kind of metal pipe he picked up as a last minute weapon.

"Get away you beast!" Coran shouted, making Ember shiver. "_Get out!_" he yelled and Ember sprung into full gallop away from everyone. The audience dispersed, letting the little creature run off into the forest.

Allura shoved Coran out of the way and she and Keith ran after her. "Ember! Ember, wait!" They followed the red coloring of her scaled but soon lost her amongst the manny rebels coming in and out of their ships with supplies. They jumped and leaped over them with ease, but they found no sight of the little longma.

Keith cupped his hands around his mouth and called out her name. "_Ember!_"

Ember had heard his call, but she had already hidden from sight. She was scared to go back. The sting of Allura's whip still lingered, her sides aching with each step she took. She had gone mad and destroyed so many things. She had bitten an innocent. She couldn't control it. Keith and Allura had given her everything. A home. A family. A look into their world. After what she did, she couldn't go back now. She couldn't let that episode happen again, especially if it meant she would be hurt again. Hurt by the very ones she had already grown to love.

Ember ran off, trying not to whimper at the aching in her side and lost herself in the Olkari forest. The trees grew larger and larger with each step. Her body ached less and less the further she went. The trees all looked the same to her, and it didn't resemble the forests she and her mother used to live in. The sunlight peered through the leafs, guiding her through the forest. She kept looking back to make sure none of the angry aliens were coming after her. Her legs were tired and she rested near a large oak tree, which still carried bit of green neon lights from when the Olkari had resided in the forests when the Galra had invaded.

She curled herself into a ball, ears dropped in sadness. The surface of Allura's earring was pressed against her scales. Coiling her tail around herself, Ember tried to drift off, but while her body no longer ached, her heart still did.

How could she go from having such a wonderful family, to having nothing in a matter of seconds? It was just like with her mother. She had lost her in an unforeseen shadow of blood and smoke, and that same shadow came back and made her loose the second family she had.

Coran was right after all. The forest was where she belonged. As she looked around, she did feel at ease among the trees… but what was the point of having a forest all to yourself, being allowed to roam free if you didn't have anyone?

Her ears perked upwards when she heard the sound of approaching footsteps. Before she could run a metallic net sprung right from behind a bush and wrapped around her. The bolas at the ends wrapped together, trapping her. She tried to wiggle free, but the metal surface cut through her. She let out a desperate whinny, her mind going straight to Keith and Allura, calling out for them as if they would hear her.

Tragically, it wasn't their comforting voices she heard, but a sinister chuckle. A large, bulky, cloaked figure towered over her. A device in his had was still beeping.

"Finally caught up with you, my little money maker."

(~)

"I don't know what happened. I was just gathering my things when all of a sudden this thing attacked me."

The woman whom Ember had bitten was being tended to by Allura, wrapping the bandage around her forearm. "I am terribly sorry. Do you need anything else?"

"No, thank you. I think I'll be fine."

Allura nodded her head and the woman's husband walked on over, carrying an old broken piece of a lantern. "Oh. This was one of my favorites." she said sadly as she and her husband walked on along. The mice overheard the conversation and squeaked amongst each other.

Keith and the rest of the paladins sat dejectedly on a few stairs, with Allura joining him. "I just don't get it." said the black paladin. "She's never behaved like this before."

"Maybe one of the kids stepped on her tail by accident?" Hunk theorized.

"Or maybe because having a longma inside the castle was a bad idea from the start." Coran stated in a cold, disapproving tone. He tapped on his chin, "Let's see, who said it was a bad idea? Oh, right. I _did!_"

"Coran, you're not helping." Allura replied, eyes narrowed in equal disapproval, which made Coran scoff. _She_ was being angry at _him?_

"I warned you both the dangers of having a longma on board, but did you listen to me? No, you did not, and now look what's happened! And to think, you were considering letting her stay."

Keith slammed his fists to the sides as he got back to his feet and marched on forward. "Keith, where are you going?" Allura asked.

"I'm going to look for her."

Coran shook his head and grabbed Keith by the shoulder. "Oh, no you're not! She's where she belongs now. Out in the wild where she can pillage and hunt however she pleases."

Lance rose up as well, scratching the back of his neck, nervous about what he was about to say next. "Keith, look I love Ember as much as you do, but maybe Coran has a point. She did go into a monstrous rage back there."

"But that's not like her." Keith stated, his eyes a mixture of anger and sadness. "There had to be a reason why she acted that way. We can help her."

"How?" Pidge asked.

"I don't know, but I can't just leave her alone out there." Keith prepared to leave again, only to be stopped by Coran.

"This is exactly what I'm talking about! You're placing some creature above your responsibilities."

"Ember is my responsibility!"

"No, she's not!"

"Coran, stop it!" Allura stepped in, trying to stop the two from arguing any further. She had a sinking feeling on what would come next if this continued. But Coran ignored her.

"Why can't you just leave her be?"

"_Because I'm not my mother!_"

Silence loomed over them. Coran was taken aback, staring directly into Keith's eyes, filled with anger, hurt and… loneliness. Pidge, Hunk and Lance all had their mouths hung open at the reveal, but Allura held her hands close to her mouth, her eyes closed in regret. She tried to warn Coran, but he didn't listen, and now Keith's most tragically personal secret was out in the open.

Keith looked away from everyone. For the first time since knowing them, they all finally knew the truth about his mother. They had a hunch that she was where Keith inherited his Galra blood, but he never said she had left. They just assumed she had died. Keith did state he was an orphan before but… this…

Allura was the first to approach him, being the only one among them who knew about this. He didn't push her away as she snaked her arm around his and allowed him to rest his head on her shoulder. He covered his face and a light sob escaped his mouth before he could stop it. He cursed in his mind for he knew the paladins had heard it.

Coran felt like the biggest moron in the entire galaxy. He had been so blinded by his own pride that he didn't stop to place two and two together. No wonder Keith and Allura were so drawn to the little bea--Ember. It was because they saw a lot of themselves in her. It also explained why Keith was such a lone wolf most of the time.

Being left by one's mother could not have been an easy thing to handle, let alone talk about. While neither of the paladins could really relate to the experience, they could still empathize that Keith had the right to be upset about it.

Keith managed to pull himself together. He had kept this secret from everyone long enough, maybe it was high time they knew. They were a team, so they should be open enough to trust one another with their problems.

Rather than Keith saying something on the mater, Lance spoke first. "I'm sorry, buddy."

"Yeah, man. Me too." Hunk said.

"That must have been really hard." Pidge said. "We understand why you didn't tell us."

"I didn't tell anyone except for Shiro and Allura." Keith confessed. "I guess sometimes I just… I just don't want to believe it." his voice was starting to crack again.

Allura cupped his cheek. "Keith, it's alright." she whispered, leaning her forehead against his. "We understand."

"I guess that's why I got so attached to Ember. I didn't want to leave her the way my mother left me." He hung his head in regret. "You were right, Coran. I did loose perspective."

"No, you didn't. I did. " Coran said, taking the paladins by surprise. "I was too blinded by my own pride to see what was right in front of me. You gave that little one a second chance at life. That's what a true paladin does." he smiled. "Shiro would be proud."

"And you weren't the only one who got attached." Allura said, intertwining her fingers with his.

"We all did." Lance said, already tearing up. He rubbed his eyes and turned away. "Sorry. I got something in my eye."

The mice then scurried up Allura and Keith's shoulders, squeaking frantically. "What?" Keith questioned, trying to gather what they were saying. "Wait, slow down, one at a time!"

They both held two mice in their hands, and one by one they continued explaining. Coran and the others could only stare as the two paladins conversed with the mice. Allura had a mental link with them after they had slumbered with her in the pod for ten thousand years. And, because of their time in the Astral Plane, Keith and Allura too developed some kind of link as well, which Allura once used to reach him after he was taken by Zarkon. This, in turn, allowed Keith to communicate with the mice as well.

The mice spoke in multiple squeaks, complete with various expressions and using their tiny paws as hands to describe things. Once they finished, Keith and Allura looked at one another, not saying a word and then sprung forward, the mice now securely on their shoulders.

"Hey, where are you going?" Lance called out as he ran on after them. The others followed.

"Yeah, mind filling us in?" Hunk cried out, "Some of us still can't speak Mouse!"

(~)

Keith and Allura hurried to find the woman Ember had bitten earlier. She and her husband and sister continued to assist the rest of the rebels when the paladins approached them.

"Excuse me." Allura began. "Sorry to disturb you, but we just wanted to ask you a few questions."

"Yes, Princess?"

"What where you doing before Ember attacked you?"

"I was just getting some of my old things when she lunged at me." The woman explained.

"You said you had an old lantern, right?" Keith asked. "Were you about to light it?"

The woman blinked, recalling the memory. "Yes, I did. Why?"

"By any chance, did Ember attack you at some point after you lit the match?"

The woman pondered for a moment, her eyes widening. The paladins could practically hear the gears in her brain turning. "Now that you mention it… yes, that is exactly what happened. But, I don't understand. How did this help?"

"More than you know." Allura said, looking surprisingly happy. "Thank you."

"Okay, what's going on?" Lance asked once her and the others had caught up, gathering bits of the conversation.

"We know why Ember went berserk!" Keith said, looking just as happy as Allura did.

"Really? How?"

"You."

"Me? What did I do?"

"The mice told us that Ember was really close to loosing it when she saw your lion's use it's fire beam during our last fight, until the mice snapped her out of it."

"And Ember only went wild _after_ that woman lit up a match to light her lantern." Allura finished.

Hunk stroked his chin. "Now that you mention it, I did notice Ember went still when a match was lit."

"Hey, I think I got that on film." Lance pulled out his phone, scrolled through the video he had recorded of Ember playing with the kids and paused just as the woman lit the match and Ember was standing there, frozen in place. When he hit play again, the little one went from a curious cutie into a raved beast in less than a tic.

"_That's_ why she went crazy." Pidge said. "Seeing fire must have triggered the memory of when her mother died. The same thing happened to my aunt's cat after she was hit by a bike. Whenever she sees one she hisses and scratches people, even my aunt, and she loves her."

"I knew Ember wouldn't attack someone for no reason!" Keith said, happy to have come to realize the truth.

It was then, Allura's earring started flashing. The sound of a familiar whinnying sound of plea came through so loud the others heard it.

"Ember?"

"What is it?" Keith asked.

"It's Ember. She still has my earring. I think she's in trouble!"

(~)

Ember struggled, her sharp fangs bitting into the metal of her net. The hunter dragged her across the forest floor all the way to his ship. He had removed his hood, revealing himself to be a large, muscular, reptilian alien with piercing eyes that burned with such hatred it made Ember's blood boil.

"And here I thought Longma's were supposed to be clever. Your mother wasn't so smart to see that fire coming. At least it did the job in scaring you out."

So, he was the cause of the fire? Just so he could capture them? Why? The horrid creature hunched down and pulled Ember by the ends of the net she was wrapped in, dangling her upside down. His cold eyes zoning in on her horn like a hawk. "I know some folks who will pay big money for a freshly picked horn like yours."

That's why he wanted her? For her horn? It still didn't make sense to her, but all she knew was that he was the bad guy, simple as that.

Ember let out a horrified whimper when the bounty hunter tossed her back to the floor. She growled and tried to bite him, but she couldn't do much because of this annoying net. The reptilian man pulled out a long sword from behind him. The surface gleaming in the sunlight.

"Hold still, now. This won't take long."

(~)

Keith and Allura went on their lion's speeders through the forest in search of Ember. The other paladins and Coran stayed behind. Her earring was placed on a small computer beside her, which pointed her and Keith to where Ember was. The two earrings were connected, so it would lead them directly to her.

"She's here. This way."

Keith followed Allura, making a sharp turn near a couple of trees by a small stream. They finally arrived to where Ember was and gasped when they saw the bounty hunter, ready to cut the longma wide open. The paladins surrounded the reptilian with their speeders before jumping out, bayards at the ready.

"Get away from her!" Keith ordered, his voice reminiscent of a ferocious growl.

The beast charged at Keith, sword at the ready, but didn't expect Allura to pull out her own whip, wrap it around his wrist and throw him over her head against a tree. His massive size collided with the trunk, making a loud cracking sound and he fell to the ground.

Seeing his chance, Keith hurried towards Ember and tried to cut her free, but the net was made out of some kind of metal material, so cutting it with a sword was out. He resulted using the old fashioned method and just untangle it. It was tight, and he nearly cut his fingers through his gloves, but he managed to release Ember. She jumped out from the back of the ship, shaking her body like a wet dog. Allura hurried to her side, got down on her knees and hugged Ember's long neck.

"Ember! I'm so sorry! I didn't want to hurt you, I-I didn't know what else to do." Allura cupped the longma's face, tears already streaming down her cheeks. "Are you alright?"

Ember answered by licking Allura's cheek. The princess sighed in relief. Not only was Ember alive and well, but also she had forgiven her. Keith joined in, the three of them wrapped in a group hug. But the fight was only just beginning. Ember whinnied in distress, gesturing to the reptilian bounty hunter who had just gotten back up. There wasn't a scratch on him, but he was far from happy.

"I was told to bring back the longma's horn. But a couple of paladins should work just as well."

"Ember, get out of here!" Allura said, her and Keith taking a fighting stance, shielding Ember from the threat. Ember did as she was told and ran to hide behind a tree once the bounty hunter came charging at the two, this time with a pair of dual electric whips.

Using her own, Allura collided her whip with those of the bounty hunter's. Electric sparks flew off the neon glowing ropes. She managed to wrap her whip around his wrist again, and Keith leaped into the air, sword in hard, ready to strike, but the bounty hunter hurled his other whip at Keith, electrifying him in mid air. The black paladin screamed and used his strength to yank Allura right off of her feet, crashing her into her boyfriend, knocking the two down on the ground. Keith got up and quickly reached for Allura. She was still conscious, but groaned either out of pain or anger. Most likely both.

Ember watched from behind the tree as the beast gained up on her friends. Rather than give up, the two jumped out of the way when the creature unleashed his whip at them again. Keith charged at rapid speed, kicking the bounty hunter in the gut, then punching his face. His head went pointing upwards, and Allura used this split second of distraction to knock him down by wrapping her whip around his ankle. With a powerful yank he was down on the ground.

The paladins panted, their bayards still active, making sure the bounty hunter was down. Once certain, they turned towards Ember, who poked her head from behind the tree.

"It's alright, Ember." Keith said with a smile, "It's safe to--GAH!"

Ember whinnied in terror when both Keith and Allura were electrocuted by the bounty hunter's whip while they had their backs turned. The two paladins collapsed, the electric whips coursing with vibrant red currents as the monster towered over them.

Just then, something stirred within Ember's stomach. It was that same bubbly feeling she felt when the paladins were fighting the Galra. It was stronger than even the anger she felt when she saw that fire that reminded her of when her mother died. This beast had already taken one family from her, he was not about to take this one too.

Forgetting her fears, Ember jumped out of hiding and charged forward, standing in a feral stance between the bounty hunter and the paladins. The reptilian laughed at the little one's apathetic attempt at bravery.

"These two are worth more to me alive, but I'll take something over nothing. As for you, little one, I'll be generous enough to let you join them."

That bubbling sensation grew larger and larger until it erupted into something Ember could no longer contain. Without thinking, she opened her mouth wide and a spear manifested at the very center. Energy spiraled all around, increasing in size which left even the bounty hunter himself horrified. The beam expanded, erupting like a volcano, becoming a powerful blue and white colored beam that shot the bounty hunter directly on his chest, sending him flying back against several trees in his path. Each one breaking apart at the immense weight of him.

Along with the beam, came a powerful roar that was heard even from way back in the city where the paladins where, and spotted something glowing in the distance. They got on their speeders and rode towards the source.

The beam dimmed before disappearing completely. Ember hung her head in exhaustion, coughing hard. Her mouth tasted weird and something in her stomach, and throat, felt different. Like something that had been closed up now had been opened.

Keith and Allura had woken up just in time to see Ember shoot her mouth beam, but only once it was over did they find the strength to sit back up. Several trees had been knocked down or scorched, which worried Ember, but was relieved when she saw the bounty hunter completely knocked out cold. He was still breathing, but given the strike he took there was no way he was going to be waking up anytime too soon.

"Ember?"

At the princess's voice, the little longma smiled and approached the two. The paladins wrapped their arms around her and Ember wrapped her wings around them in return.

"Ember, that was amazing!" Keith said, beaming with pride. "I had no idea you could do that."

"Neither did I."…

"AH!" The three let out a simultaneous gasps/screams. Even Ember looked surprised.

"E-Ember?"

"Ye-Yeah?" The longma shook her head, opened and then closed her mouth, "Did I--Ah!" Ember yelped, the ends of her wing reaching to her throat.

"You… you can speak?" Allura said dumbfounded.

"I… I guess so." Ember blinked a couple times. This revelation was just as new for her as it was for them.

"It must have happened after you shot that beam." Keith said. It was the only explanation he could think of right now.

"Is that weird?" Ember asked, her ears dropping with worry. "Or a bad thing?"

Allura chuckled. "No, of course not." her smile then turned into a frown. "Ember, I am so sorry for using my bayard on you like that. I really didn't want to."

"I'm sorry too." Ember said with regret. "I couldn't control myself after I saw that fire."

"The mice already explained everything." Keith said, stroking her mane. "We're not upset."

"You're not?"

"No. It wasn't your fault, you just got scared."

"It's over now." Allura said, stroking her hair. "And everything's going to be alright."

The little longma smiled. "I'm really happy you guys came."

"Us too, Ember. Us too." Keith said, then placed a loving kiss on just above Ember's head. The paladins finally arrived on their respected speeders, jumping out and hurrying to their friends.

"What happened?" Hunk asked.

"Yeah, we heard a loud roar, saw this weird glow and--Whoa." Lance's jaw dropped when he saw the mess Ember's beam had left in its wake, and the unconscious bounty hunter still laying on the ground.

"What happened here?"

"It's a long story."

"…. Did Ember just talk?"

"Yep."

"Oh. Cool beans." Lance said, then passed out right then and there, much to everyone confusion.

(~)

The bounty hunter was taken in by the Olkari officials and placed in prison. His weapons being confiscated and would now be used by the rebels in the fight against the Galra. As for Ember, with her new ability to speak, she was able to explain to the woman she had bitten what happened and personally apologized. The woman shared with Ember that she too had lost her mother, so she understood the little one's feelings perfectly and accepted her apology.

Ember even explained to Keith and Allura that the bounty hunter wanted her for her horn, and was the one who caused the fire to snuff out her and her mother. Pidge discovered he used a tracker to scan a longma's horn in order to locate her through a vast distance.

As for Pidge, she finally finished adding the final touch to Ember's artificial membrane. It was a strong, durable substance that would strap to the ends of her wing so it wouldn't fall off, and would wrap around a portion of her wing, exposing the tip and the ends. It was light enough for Ember to move around in, and it covered up her holes perfectly. The surface even felt a little bit like her wings.

"Okay. Now, for the moment of truth." Pidge rubbed her hands together and stepped back, giving Ember her space. Everyone gathered around her, eagerly awaiting and offering her support. The little mice were waving tiny flags while Hunk was literally shaking in suspense.

Ember's mother had taught her how to fly before, so flapping was the easy part. She spread out her wings and leaped. She gasped and smiled happily once she felt her hooves had left the ground. She started off slow, then accelerated. Before long, she was flying above everyone, as high as she dared to go. Ember flew over the base, spotting various aliens she had met, even the children who waved at her. She landed safely in front of the paladins, tucking in her newly fixed wing.

Pidge smiled smugly, rubbing her knuckles against her shirt. "Am I a genius? Or am I a genius? Whoa!" The green paladin was knocked down by Ember who started licking her face.

"Thank you, Pidge! Thank you, thank you, thank you!"

"Anytime, Ember." Pidge replied, hugging her friend.

"Lance, did you get all that?" Hunk asked, looking over Lance's shoulder.

"Yep!" Lance replied, already replaying the video on his phone. His eyes started tearing up again.

"Uh, Lance. You've got "something" in your eye again." Keith said in amusement, earning a chuckle from Allura.

Lance quickly covered his face. "Thanks for the tip." he said, trying--and failing-- to hide the fact that he was crying.

Even Ember laughed. "It's okay, Uncle Lance. You can cry if you want."

The new red paladin stiffed and his eyes watered even more. "Did… did you just call me…" he sucked on his lips and shielded his eyes with his arm, averting his gaze. "Oh, boy. That did it. Excuse me, I need to go get this something out of my eyes!" Lance hurried into the ship, unable to contain his emotions. He wanted to hug Ember right then and there, but if he did he would be brawling like a baby in front of everyone.

The others only laughed. Lance was such a softie at heart. Coran took this moment to crunch down to Ember's level. He hung his head in shame. "Ember, I'm really sorry about how I treated you. I shouldn't have blamed you for something your ancestors did. Can you ever forgive me?" Coran felt a wet tongue lick his cheek.

"Of course I forgive you, Uncle Coran."

And just like that, the tears started to form in his eyes as well. "Oh, uh, pardon me. I think Lance's something got in my eye as well."

The paladins and Ember laughed. A beeping sound pierced through their joyous sounds, coming from Pidge's pocket. "It's the tracker that bounty hunter used to find Ember."

"Why is it beeping?" Hunk asked.

"Probably because Ember's standing right in front of it." Keith said with a shrug.

"No." Pidge shook her head. The green paladin looked surprised, and even a bit hesitant to cary on with what she had just discovered. Finally, she decided to show everyone what was on the scene of the tracker.

Just like with the bounty hunter, a small white dot started flashing. The white dot representing Ember. Then more and more white dots swarmed around it. And more. More and mow kept popping up, gathered together until they made somewhat of a shimmering white cloud.

"Is that…?" Allura was almost hesitant to say it out loud. Ember's eyes widened as she looked at the multiple white dots. Everyone went silent. The white dots kept on moving, but they were still within range of Olkarion. Not too close, but not too far either.

Keith and Allura turned to one another, then at Ember, who was still looking at the white dots, contemplating on what to feel about this. They knew exactly what she was thinking.

And they knew what needed to be done.

(~)

They took the castle ship into space, following the tracker to where the white dots would be seen. The whole ride, nobody said anything other than asking Pidge whether or not they were close. Once they arrived at the supposed destination, all was quiet. Nothing but the empty void of space and nothing for miles. Even Olkarion looked distant from where they were.

"So, what now?" Lance asked, staring at the wide open space before them.

Pidge looked down at the tracker. "I'm not sure. This is where they're supposed to be but, there's nothing here."

Ember shook her head. "This is silly." she said, forcing herself to smile. "That thing's probably broken or something. Let's just go back to Olkarion."

"Ember, are you sure?" Keith asked. The tone of her voice, shy and uncertain, told him an entirely different take on what she had just said.

"I'm sure. I mean, what are the chances, right?"

Allura wasn't buying the longma's words either. She may have just learned how to speak, but she was still far too young to know how to be subtle with her words. And even if she had been, Allura knew that curious look in her eyes. That longing, yet fear of hoping.

"Guys. Look at that."

Everyone turned their attention back to the window when Coran had spoken. He pointed forward to where they saw something that resembled a bright star in the distance. The star grew brighter and expanded right before their eyes, becoming multiple shinning figures that moved across space as if they were galloping on clouds in the heavens.

Their bodies glowing with a radiant aura which came from the bright glow from their curved horns, coming in various lighter colorful shades, matching the horns on the sides of their heads. Their bodies were long, slender and majestic. Their movements as graceful as a ballet dancer, or the gentle flapping of a swan's wings as they descended down towards the lake. Their wings, much larger than Ember's, stretched out, flapping softly, in sync with their movements. Their manes, long and flowing like ocean waves, lighter colors contrasting with their scales which shimmered like sequins, coming in a collection of diversely bright and saturated colors.

The auras around them made it look as if they had been crafted by the stars themselves. A whole herd of them galloped along side by side. Families with their young ones following close behind. The paladins were left in a state of petrified wonderment. It was like staring into a painting that had sprung to life, or an impossible fantasy manifesting right before their eyes. Lance, without taking his eyes off of the scene, pulled out his phone and started recording. There was no way he was about to let this moment disappear.

"Have you ever seen anything like this?" Hunk said, piercing through the silence that filled the castle.

Allura held her hand close to her heart, almost on the verge of tears. "They're beautiful."

Coran couldn't have agreed more. He had spent years despising these creatures, but looking at them now, while wild and untamed for sure, they were a work of art. Perfectly crafted by the hands of the universe, designed to gallop freely across the stars, showering all who witnessed them in their mesmerizing beauty. He felt like a young lad again.

"Magnificent beasts indeed."

Ember stepped forward, gazing up at the creatures. Creatures that looked exactly like her. For a moment, she hoped to try and find any one who resembled her mother. But her heart soon reminded her that it would not be possible. Her stomach turned when she saw little longmas alongside their own mothers. She was just about to cry until she felt Allura's loving hand on her neck. In an instant, her sadness withered away and she lost herself in the princess's touch.

One of the longma, a tall, powerful looking one with a mane of strong purple shades, scales of a shade of sapphires if they had been dipped in snow and a long golden horn extending from her forehead. Her legs were white, sparkling like stars, the membranes of her wings gold like her horn. Her eyes were a strong amethyst, old and firm, yet warm and wise all at once. Her and Ember's eyes locked for what felt like an eternity. A sense of knowing overwhelmed her.

"She knows I'm here."

"How can you tell?" Keith asked.

"I don't know." Ember replied, her eyes still looking into those of the female adult longma. "She can sense me. I think. It's hard to explain."

The older longma nodded her head softly. A detail that was hard to distinguish from where the paladins stood, but was perfectly clear for Ember. She turned from the longma and looked up at Keith and Allura. "She wants me to go to her. W-will you guys come with me?"

Keith and Allura looked at one another, and then to the other paladins. No nods, no words needed to be spoken.

"Of course we will." Keith replied.

Ember breathed a sigh of relief. If she was going to meet this strange, mysterious longma, then she would much rather do it with those she loved before anything else.

She turned to Coran who, to her surprise looked really sad. He got down to her level and, to her astonishment, he wrapped his arms around her neck. This was the first time he had ever hugged her. With her wing, she hugged him in return. When the hug ended, Coran wiped the tears from his eyes and ruffled Ember's mane. The mice scurried up to her, squeaking sadly and she gave each of them a nose kiss.

"I'll be back." she said to them, and while the mice accepted this, they had already accepted the truth.

In their paladin armor, the team exited the castle alongside Ember. The moment she stepped out into space, she immediately realized she could breath just fine. Her horn had reacted all on its own and the same shimmering aura that surrounded the other longma was on herself as well. She didn't even think about it, it came as effortlessly as breathing. The horn must have worked somewhat like an automatic light, or a motion sensor. The moment Ember was in space, it just works. 

Ember and the others stopped in mid air, and the longma approached them. Her wings spread out, making her look all the more magnificent and intimidating.

"Who are these aliens?" she asked. The paladins dared not even gasp. It would seem all longma possessed the ability to speak. Her voice was low, yet powerful. For the paladins raised on earth, she sounded somewhat like an African American woman.

"They're my friends." Ember replied, bravely speaking up to her, while keeping her wings open, shielding her friends. The longma's eyes softened at the little one's bravery, and loyalty.

"Come forward, young one."

Ember hesitated, until Keith gave her a gentle nudge to go forward. His smile eased her nerves and she flew up to the longma. The two flew together, a little closer to the herd. The older longma lowered her head, speaking low to Ember, her wing wrapped around her in a comforting manner. Keith grew worried as he watched the two converse. His fingers, by instincts, intertwined with Allura's, both feeling jittery at what might happen.

They couldn't hear their conversation, for it appeared to be a personal one between the two. The older longma introduced Ember to another young one, most likely her offspring. Her scales were sandy pink and her legs were pale yellow, with a long aqua blue mane and eyes to match. Her horn was a paler blue, almost white. She sniffed Ember and then whinnied happily.

Two more flew beside her, and the yellow and blue one introduced them. The three galloped happily around Ember, coaxing her to join them. Keith and Allura saw Ember smile as she galloped and played with the other little longma. Seeing Ember happy was a treasure in of itself, and watching her playing with others of her kind, Allura could only imagine what a miracle that must feel like.

The other adult longma welcomed her with open hooves and wings. Even the older longma, which the others had concluded must be the herd's leader, nuzzled Ember's cheek like a mother would.

Allura tightened her grip on Keith's hand and rested her free one on his chest. He held her wrist as she pressed herself closer to his side. If he hadn't been there, she felt she would shatter right then and there. Keith held it together as best he could, but he too felt that he would break.

How could one feel so happy and yet so sad all at once? Keith and Allura came to realize that it was indeed possible to feel both. A tug of war that pulled at both sides at the same time. A desire to smile, and a desire to cry. A desire to see Ember happy with her kind, and yet a desire to keep her with them.

For all of Coran's whining and complaining, he was right. Ember couldn't stay in the castle forever, and given what happened with the bounty hunter, who knows what other abilities she possessed. There was still so much about the longma they did not know. They gave Ember a home and love when she needed it most, but in order to survive, she needed to be with those of her own blood. After all, if Allura had ever been given the chance to be with her people again, she would take it. She couldn't deny Ember the same thing. And Keith, as much as he didn't want to say goodbye, leaving her with her own kind wasn't abandonment. It was doing what was best for her… even as it hurt.

Ember did an air flip, laughing like she hadn't laughed before. But then, her laughter diminished when she saw the paladins still far enough away from the herd. Why weren't they joining in the fun? The longma were nice, surely they would let them play with her. Ember politely excused herself and returned to the others, still excited.

"Hey, guys! Come on, why don't you play with us?" she said. Her smile disappeared when she realized their tears. "Why are you so sad?"

Keith wanted to chuckle at her innocence. "Because we're going to miss you."

Ember tilted her head in confusion. "But, I'm not going anywhere."

"Do you wish to stay with them?" Allura asked, not angry, but smiling. She knew the answer by looking into Ember's eyes.

"I… I mean, I don't…" Ember stuttered, looking back at the herd and then at the paladins. Did she want to stay? In all honesty, she did. To be with her own kind, to be with creatures like herself was wonderful. But, she knew she also belonged with the paladins. How could she leave them now? They have taught her so much already, and she wanted to help them in the fight against the Galra.

"But, what about you? Do you want me to leave?"

"No, of course not." Allura shook her head, eyes filled with tears.

"Then why are you saying I should go with them?"

"Because I know you want to." Allura couldn't contain herself anymore, and Ember couldn't deny that. She wanted both. She wanted to be with her kind, and she wanted to be with Team Voltron.

Ember hung her head in shame, and Allura gently cupped her face in both hands. "Ember, listen to me. There have been times where I wish my father hadn't had to sacrifice himself to me. But if he hadn't I wouldn't be here. I never would have met Keith, or the paladins, or you. My father sacrificed his life so that I could live mine, and fight another day. That's what love is, Ember. Placing another's needs above your own."

Keith smiled, despite the mixture of sadness. Her words reminded him from when they had met in the Astral Plane. Where Allura shared with Keith things about her father, and he told her that he did what he had to in order to save Allura, and it was for a reason. She had grown so much since then, and he knew Ember would become as smart as she was.

Allura sucked in her lips as tears rolled from her eyes at the same time they did Ember, only in space they floated around her, sparkling droplets swirling around her cheeks. "I don't want you to go… " she sobbed. "But they can teach you things Keith and I wouldn't be able to."

"So can you." Ember said, "You taught me what Voltron was all about."

"I know. But you need to understand your heritage. I was taken away from my people… I don't want to keep you from yours."

"But… I don't want you to be sad." Ember cried.

"That's inevitable, kiddo." Keith said, tears also cascading down his eyes. "Sadness and joy, that's all part of life. But, we'll be okay, and so will you."The black paladin held Ember's chin in his palm, "You're brave, smart and loyal, and we know you're going to grow up into a strong longma. No matter what happens, no matter how far we are… never forget that we love you. I can't promise you much, but _this_ I can always guarantee."

The whole time, Keith had lost it. He spoke in between sobs, his voice cracking every other sentence, and yet he managed to say everything from his heart.

Ember couldn't be angry. She now understood. They wanted her to be happy, even if it meant they would need to say goodbye. They really were heroes if they were willing to place their own feelings aside just so Ember could be with her kind.

"I love you guys, too." Ember sobbed as she wrapped her wings around them. The three wrapped in a final hug, savoring every last moment.

Hunk's tears were practically flooding his helmet. "I can't be left out of this!" without asking, he, Lance and Pidge all joined in the group hug, crying their eyes out, sobbing and weeping.

"We're really gonna miss you!" Pidge sobbed.

"Make your Uncle Lance proud, okay." the red paladin said, sobbing louder than even Hunk.

"You will make all of us proud." Allura said, managing to steady her voice long enough to say it. Ember nuzzled against Keith and Allura once last time before turning back towards the herd. She stopped in between the two, looking at the paladins, then at the herd, before finally looking one last more at the paladins.

They waved, still crying by smiling none the less. From the castle, Coran and the mice waved, tearing up just as much as the paladins were. "So long, little beastie! I'll never forget you!" Coran cried out, so loud even Ember heard him. She laughed and galloped towards the herd, back with the longma herd leader and the younger ones.

Pidge withheld her tears, but her lower lip quivered. Lance placed a hand on her shoulder and, to his surprise, she hugged him. She closed her eyes, but the tears still came out. Lance rubbed her back, letting her cry.

The paladins all watched as the entire herd galloped away into the void until their silhouettes were nothing more than a faint star in the distance before disappearing in a blink. Once she was gone, Allura let out even more tears as Keith held her close.

(~)

The castle was quiet that night, even with the already constant stars outside. Keith sat on the floor of the control room, his jacket absent as he gazed down at his Blade of Marmora knife. Saying goodbye to Ember, and revealing the truth about his mother to the others prompted him to look at it again. It had been a while since he just stared into his own reflection on the knife.

He felt a familiar presence approach him. "I've been thinking. About what we told Ember." Allura said as she too a seat beside him.

"Yeah?"

"I know you've already told me what happened with your mother, but… you also didn't know that he was Galra either."

"My memories of her are pretty foggy. The clearest one I have is the one of her leaving." Keith said, still looking down at the knife. He felt Allura touch his forearm.

"But what if it wasn't for what you think? What if she didn't leave because she didn't want you? What if she left because she wanted to give _you_ your best chance?"

For so many years, Keith had resented his mother for having left him and his father. But, once realizing that she was indeed Galra descent, and given the history of the Galra, was it possible that she left not for selfishness, but to protect him? Maybe to keep him out of the war? Keith was no expert, but he knew well enough parents would do things for their children. Even if it meant letting them go.

"I'd be lying if I said the thought never occurred to me. I was just too afraid to hope."

"What if she's still out there?" Allura asked, once again, getting his full attention. "She was a Blade once, perhaps they know something."

"I had already asked. They've searched all files, but found nothing. It's possible she left before Kolivan even came along. There's no way to know for sure what happened to her, not even from the Blades."

"Well, we could still try. Perhaps, once we find Shiro and stop Lotor, we could try searching for her." Keith became silent and looked down at his knife. Allura intertwined her own hands together, resting them on her knees. "That is, if you want to."

She was worried she may have pushed it a bit, but was--pleasantly--surprised when Keith cupped her cheek and kissed her full on the lips.

"What would I do without you?"

"I ask myself that every day." Allura teased, earning a chuckle from her boyfriend. He took her hand in his and helped her back to her feet.

"Well, time for moping is over." Keith said, still with Allura's hands in his. "Let's head back to Olkarion."

(~)

"_There's still plenty we need to do._"

Ember gave a cheeky smile as she listened in on the conversation via her earring. Whether or not Allura had intentionally left it there, or if she was too emotional and simply forgot was a mystery that Ember was more than happy to leave unsolved.

As the herd galloped along to reach another planet to rest, Ember flew up higher, mimicking the movements the Voltron lions did during battle. She would never forget that fight, and she would never forget everything Keith and Allura had taught her about the coalition, the fight against the Galra, everything.

"Hey, Ember. What are you doing?" One her new friends asked.

"Yeah, I've never seen moves like that before."

"Have you guys ever heard of Voltron?" Ember asked them. Her friends all shook their heads. Ember laughed and as they flew she began her tale.

Keith and Allura were right in saying the herd could teach her things they couldn't, but she also knew that it was the paladins who taught her things the longma could never teach her. Ember may be a part of the herd now, but the Voltron side of her will forever be what sets her apart from others. And, one day, that very same difference may just be what restores something the longma themselves have been missing.


	24. Chapter 24

A week had passed and things were already returning to normal, despite the grief of no longer having Ember with them. There have been times where Allura half expected to find dirty hoof prints on the kitchen floor whenever she saw Hunk working on his latest recipe for diner. Everyone often thought about how she was doing with her herb, praying she would be safe from harm. If the longma had managed to stay alive after all this time, no doubt they would survive several more.

Still, that didn't make the grieving any easier. The team was still learning how to carry on without Shiro, and now they had to say goodbye to someone else they cared about. Keith and Allura no doubt being the ones who took it the hardest. Never the less, the days went on as usual. Business as always.

Pidge woke up early one morning, trying to find more clues to her family's whereabouts. In doing so, she stumbled upon a few family photos which she would often keep beside her for motivation. Today, they brought tears to her eyes. Granted, that wasn't too out of the ordinary, but given the fact that it was only a week since Ember left, the emotional baggage still weighed on her. Yet, another goodbye and an uncertain "we will meet again" hanging in the air.

The odor of hot steaming decaf engulfed her nostrils, reminding her that she had yet to have breakfast. The door had swushed open without her knowing. After living in the castle ship for this long, the sound became synonymous with the sound of her own breathing. Do it so often you don't even know you're doing it half the time.

The green paladin wiped her teary eyes and saw the new red paladin handing her his cup. Pidge blinked once, realizing he didn't have another one with him. Lance stared at her with a look of genuine concern, still handing her the cup. The aroma already waking up the rest of her senses. Pidge took the cup and took a huge sip.

"Any luck?" Lance asked, looking at the picture on the computer screen.

"Still looking. Thanks by the way." Pidge said before taking another sip.

"No problem." he gave her a casual shrug, observing Pidge as she typed away on her computer, placing her family photos on the side and widening a bunch of digital data and notes.

Over time, Lance had noticed several new things about Pidge. The first that she, surprisingly, liked decaf. That she was a smart-aleck (in more ways than one), and unyieldingly loyal to her friends. Lance may not be the most tech savvy member of the team (yet another quality he lacked) but even he could apreciate the artistic passion Pidge possessed for technology, science and math. Even if he couldn't understand half of what he was saying, her natural skills continue to baffle him.

He just never said any of it out loud. After all, everyone in the team was good at something. Hunk was a master chef, the food was his paint, the plates his canvass. Allura was a level-headed diplomat, a warrior princess and now a paladin, picking up on the skill rather quickly. If she had studied at the Garrison with the rest of them, no doubt she would have been Keith's rival in terms of piloting skills.

And Keith, loner wolf Keith, ace pilot at the Garrison, best friends with the legendary Shiro, not to mention half of the girls were fawning over him. Naturally, Keith never gave them the time of day both for his introverted nature, and undoubtedly that he was already spoken for. And now he was the new leader of Voltron. Just like Allura, Keith had progressed incredibly well. A few edges still needed some work, but overall, him and Allura side by side made the ideal leaders for them. Plus, with the team being primarily of teenagers, it somehow gave everyone more confidence to just goof around as if they were all living in the same dorm room.

And Lance was already getting accustomed to the Red Lion, developing just as close a bond with his new companion as he did with Blue. Yet, aside from that change nothing else has happened to him. Hunk was no longer a cowardly lion as he used to be, cautious maybe, but not cowardly anymore and is regarded as a hero to the Balamarans. Keith and Allura developed beautifully together, even Pidge had grown out of her shell, becoming more amicable with the rest of the team, playing with the space mice even and a few times having a few friendly conversations with Allura, embracing the more feminine side to her personality.

As much as Lance adored the paladins like his own family, there also lied the problem to why he still felt stuck at times.

While Pidge was typing away, her finger slipped and another photograph accidentally popped out. Pidge flinched, nearly spilling her decaf. She was just about to close it, but quickly found herself admiring the sweet memory. It was a picture of Pidge and Ember. The little longma was licking her face, while Pidge herself was tackled to the floor. Ember was wearing her brand new membranes.

"Miss her too, huh?" Lance said, taking a seat right next to Pidge, both looking at the picture.

Pidge pushed her glasses over her nose. "I'm fine." she said, keeping her composure. "But, yeah. I do miss her."

"Kinda funny how she won us over so fast." Lance joked, but Pidge picked up on the seriousness of his tone. "Having her around was like being back home."

"Yeah, it was." Pidge replied, her attention more on the picture. A second passed and she and Lance realized what they just said. "But, she's with her family now."

"Yeah. And soon you'll be reunited with yours too. Just hang in there."

As goofy as Lance could be at times… all the time, actually, there was no denying he had a good heart underneath that "lady's man" persona.

"Thanks, Lance."

"Anytime."

For a moment, there was silence and Lance readied to get up and leave. "I'll just, um, let you get back to work."

"Hey, wait up." Pidge turned around in her chair, stopping Lance half way. "What exactly did you mean when you said having Ember around was like being back home?"

Lance was rather perplexed Pidge would ask something like that, and Pidge knew well enough it wasn't like her to pry in other's personal lives. But there was no denying the look of longing Lance had in his eyes when he looked at the picture of Ember, or that subtle envy from the ones of Pidge and her family, mixed seamlessly with grief and sorrow. Pidge knew that feeling all too well, and she empathized with Lance in that having Ember was like being back home again. Maybe it was time she spoke about it with someone. Before, she didn't mind doing so with Shiro, mainly because he knew her family personally so it was easier. With Lance, or the other paladins it was different.

Pidge may have gotten more sociable over time, and shared a few mint details of her past, but never anything too deep without feeling she would break down.

Lance took his seat again, taking Pidge's unofficially invitation to talk. "I have three siblings. Two brothers named Marco and Luis, and a sister named Veronica."

"Youngest?"

"Yep. Veronica was the first of us to get married, and while she was working late she would drop up her daughter and son for us to watch them." Lance chuckled at the memory, looking down at his interlocked hands. "Little Vicky and Victor. I used to go crazy taking pictures and videos of them."

"That explains a lot." Pidge said in her usual playful sarcastic way, only rather than annoy Lance, it made him chuckle.

"Yeah. Marco is studying to be a doctor and Luis is a lawyer. Veronica works as a school teacher. Very successful family."

"Wow. That's pretty cool."

"Yeah, it is. They're pretty awesome, most of the time. Except whenever Marco called me "Lancy-Lance"."

"Wait, don't you call yourself that now?"

"What can I say? It grew on me."

The two laughed, with Pidge letting out a little snort. She quickly covered her mouth, blushing in embarrassment. She hated doing that, especially in front of anyone who wasn't biologically related to her. Thankfully, Lance didn't mock her about it. Instead, eh simply smiled as a sign of acceptance. It put Pidge more at ease.

"My brother was the one who called me Pidge. I used to hate it too, but when he was about to leave for the Kerberos mission… I guess I just… adopted it." Pidge's honey brown eyes shimmered as she looked down at the keyboard in front of her. "My family always encouraged me to follow my dreams. There was nothing I wanted more than to study at the Garrison. To push the limits of what I could do."

"Yeah. My dad would indulge me in space movies growing up. That's when I knew I wanted to be a pilot. My other siblings got to follow their dreams, I wanted nothing more than to do the same."

Pidge was a a loss for words, even if she didn't physically show it. Turns out, aside from video games, she and Lance had more in common than she realized. It was then, Lance's once dreamy expression fell into one of loneliness.

"What's wrong?" Pidge asked.

"Nothing, it's just… as much as I love my siblings, I didn't feel… like I stood out as much."

"What do you mean?"

"Everyone else picked a safe career, but I wanted to do something different. Growing up, we shared practically everything, I even got my older brother's hand-me-downs. Don't get me wrong, my brothers would take a bullet for me, but I just wanted to find something that was… my own thing. I wanted adventure, not… safety."

Everything was starting to make more sense now. From Lance's constant boasting of himself, his jealousy of Keith's natural skills, his flirting with anything in a skirt. For the longest time, Pidge took that all as a sign of arrogance and a desire for glory, but after learning about his family life and siblings, maybe it was just Lance's own desire to find his own identity outside of his family. No doubt Lance's loving family environment influenced him positively. He was loyal and fun to be around, and just as his brothers would take a bullet for him, Lance would do the same for anyone on the team. Heck, he's don it plenty of times before.

But growing up with such closeness of siblings, not to mention being the youngest, where everything was shared, it kind of made sense that Lance didn't want to distance himself entirely from his family… he just didn't want to feel like he was one of a million. He sought his own calling in life, even if it contrasted with the security of the careers his older siblings chose.

The guy was just trying to find himself. In a way, Pidge could relate. Growing up, Pidge wanted nothing more than to be like her father and brother, though maybe having only one older sibling was less daunting than having three more, along with being the youngest of them all. She knew she wished to follow the path of science and discovery like her family, but ever since she became a paladin she was starting to find her own style. Her own identity outside of the shy nerdy girl she was back on earth.

Now, she was a warrior. A fighter, a hero. It was an exhilarating life, no doubt something Lance wanted as well. Even if he tended to demonstrate it the wrong way. So, just like her snakiness often hid her uncertainty, Lance's bravado hid his insecurities.

The guy really was deeper than he led on.

"Guess I'm still trying to figure that stuff out." Lance said. His eyes then darted towards Pidge and they widened. As if he had just realized to who he was speaking to. He jumped out of his chair and his face became as red as his lion. "Sorry! Sorry, didn't mean to get all mushy like that."

"It's okay." Pidge said kindly. "I think I get it."

"You do?"

"Yeah. You're just trying to find yourself, I get that. I'm still learning a lot about myself too." Pidge said, earning Lance's attention. "All I ever wanted was to follow in my dad's footsteps. But, ever since I became a paladin it's like I'm learning this whole other side to me. I still love science and technology, for sure, but there's more to me than just computers and numbers. And… I really think there's a lot more to you too."

Lance's mouth was partly opened. "You really mean that?"

"Of course I do. I wouldn't say it if I didn't mean it."

"Fair point." Lance said with a playful roll of his eyes, which only made Pidge giggle in a way Lance had never heard before. It was… admittedly adorable.

"Thanks Pidge. I'm glad we had this talk."

"Me too."

"I think that's enough talking about me. What embarrassing stories do you have on your brother?" Lance asked, getting back to his seat, wanting to continue the conversation.

"Ha! Like I'd tell you."

"Aww, come on! I told you about Lancy-Lance, you owe me one!"

"In your dreams!"

While the two had their friendly banter, someone had been observing the whole thing in silence. Her blue eyes widened and her jaw had literally dropped, only for one of her mice friends to close it up for her.

Allura stepped back as silently as she possibly could, sucking in her lips so she wouldn't squeal like a banshee. A happy banshee.


	25. Chapter 25

The team was patrolling the quadrant when an alarm went off. Pidge cocked her head in surprise. These alarms had never gone off before. She had memorized almost every last detail there was to know about the castle and she had always seen these alarms permanently silent. It didn't look like any normal signal either. Not one she recognized.

While the other paladins were surprised, Coran and Allura looked as if they had witnessed a ghost, as Hunk so gracefully placed it. "That's just it." said Coran, face pale. "It's an old Altean distress code. One used by King Alfor's ships."

Keith gave a startled expression. Did Coran just say an Altean distress code? The same questions that swarmed his mind were outspoken by Allura herself, who held her hands close to her heart. "Could it be? Are we not the last Alteans alive?" she said, internally begging, bargaining, strangling the hands of fate to make it so that this was indeed a reality. She wanted to pinch herself to make sure she wasn't dreaming, and yet the trembling of her hands and the blood pounding in her ears was all the evidence she needed.

Keith wanted to believe the probability of there being more Alteans just as much as Allura did. Nothing would have made her happier than to see her own kind alive again. But something didn't seem right. An Altean code just suddenly appears right out of the blue, even after they have been through this quadrant before, and with Lotor still nowhere to be seen? There hasn't even been a Galra attack in a while, which rather than give relief, only made the Black Paladin more anxious. His survival instincts as restless as a squirrel that had too much caffeine.

They have fallen for a similar attempt last time, and among the many things they have learned during their time as paladins, it's that nothing is as it seems.

"Wait, what if someone is cloning the signal to try and lure us in?" Keith said, his hand gripping the side of his control panel in front of his chair, once Shiro's.

The pillars beside Allura rose up before he could even protest, "The signal is from an Altean ship, and we're going to find it!"

Allura understood her boyfriend's concerns, based on previous experiences, but if the signal was cloned, then how could it have been if it came directly from the ship itself? Besides, only Alteans knew all of their distress codes, they used specific ones for each situation. Some designed strictly for Alteans while others were used to reach out to other species. This was a direct Altean to Altean message. If Coran and Allura were indeed the last Alteans that existed, then how could they receive a signal from their own kind?

Keith was still unsure, but at the same time, could it be possible that this signal was legit? Even though Allura was already piloting the ship, Keith turned his head to look at her. "Okay, but let's not jump right out the moment we see it. Just to be safe."

Allura did not say a word. The team traveled through the wormhole and on the other side they witnessed something that was… well, "strange" or "weird" would have been an understatement, yet at the same time those words were by far the most accurate right now.

It was a ship, of Altean designs by the looks of it, right down to its coloring. But its front was sticking out of what appeared to be some kind of swirling golden vortex. According to Coran, it was a deep space vessel, also used by King Alfor. Coran recognized the name of the Altean who piloted the ship, but found no records of its destination in his files. The ship wasn't moving, and remained perfectly in tact. They had never seen anything like this, and given what they have seen, that was saying a lot.

Surprises have no limits when you're fighting evil aliens in space.

Pidge sent one of the probes to try and get a closer look at what this vortex was. The probe was steady, and it couldn't have been a black hole seeing as the light was radiating out rather than in. From the looks of it, it was also lethal seeing as when the probe was close enough to brush the surface, it exploded in a path of light.

Coran recognized the energy, right before the probe was destroyed. That thing, whatever it was, a portal of some kind perhaps, was radiating with nothing but pure quintessence. The raw energy that made up the Lions of Voltron, the castle itself and was found in every living creature, representing its life force, was blazing like a star. Coran knew enough of this substance, but the kind of this variety was something he was not an expert on, but was tragically familiar with its history.

"Okay, let's not go anywhere near there." Lance said, still cringing after seeing the probe explode.

"We must!" Allura insisted. "Voltron's composition strength far exceeds anything else in this universe. We received an Altean distress call which must mean someone is alive on that ship. As paladins, it is our duty to help."

That's what she was saying, but Keith read between the lines. Nobody knew how much Allura loved her people as much as he did. He empathized with her desire to help, but he just couldn't shake away this feeling that kept buzzing around in his head like an annoying alarm clock that won't turn off.

"Allura, I still think there's a chance that this whole thing could be a trap."

"Even if it's not a trap, it's far too dangerous to go in there." Coran said. He didn't deny Keith's suspicions, but he also didn't say it was the case. He remained neutral in the discussion. 

Allura wanted to both thank them, as well as slam her fists against the dashboard. They meant well, but Allura refused to let this just go by. "How will we know if we don't see for ourselves?" Allura said defiantly, preparing to take her leave. "If I must go by myself, I will!"

Keith stood up from his chair, raising his hands while approaching Allura. "Whoa, hey, slow down, Wonder Woman." The other paladins were hesitant to object, but Keith approached the princess as if this were like any other conversation. But even as he spoke, Allura folded her arms stubbornly.

Keith pondered for a few moments, thinking on what to do. It could be a trap, or it could not be a trap, yet there was no legitimate proof of either. And Allura was not going to let this go, there was also that. If there was a chance there were Alteans there, shouldn't they take it?

There was that annoying alarm clock again.

The Black Paladin sighed. "Okay. We go in with Voltron to get a closer look. Slow and steady. But, the minute things get too hairy we abort immediately. Does that seem fair?"

Allura arched an eyebrow at him. "You don't have to talk to me like I'm a child."

"I will if you stop pouting." Keith said with a smirk.

"I'm not pouting." Allura blushed.

"You're pouting."

"I am not!"

"It's cute."

"Let's just go already!"

"That's my girl."

The couple walked readied to get to their respected lions, leaving the rest of the group to stare at one another, unamused. Lance turned to Pidge and Hunk.

"We're all gonna die." Lance muttered.

(~)

Taking Keith's advice, the team carefully approached the vortex. In all honesty, Allura was incredibly impressed by Keith's decision. He knew how important this was to her, but he was also thinking as a leader. She promised herself to give him a kiss once this was all over.

Pidge couldn't give a clear explanation on what this thing was, even from her own readings. Hunk couldn't even detect biorhythms coming from the ship, yet Allura was insistent that in order to see who was inside, they would need to go through the vortex itself. Lance trembled in his seat, not wanting to get blown to bits like the probe did.

But the closer Voltron got to the spiraling, intensely glowing surface, their giant robot warrior remained perfectly in tact. They managed to make it to the other side completely unscarred, alive and all in one piece. Of course, Lance did inspect himself to make sure he hadn't lost any body parts, and that he still looked the same as he did before. He breathed a sigh of relief, happy his beautiful face didn't suffer from some kind of radiation deformity.

The paladins may have come out alright, but Coran had lost all connection and visual on the team. The older Altean let out a horrified "_No!_" the moment Voltro disappeared. This could not be good.

From the paladin's perspective, they were now hovering over the other side of the ship, and the castle ship was completely gone. They couldn't reach Coran, yet Pidge clarified that they were still in the exact same spot as from where they left. Nothing had changed except the scenery.

The other end of the ship was scene, and where the castle ship was now stood a planet they had never seen before, not even when they first went through the portal. Even the back half of the ship was missing. Stranger still, Hunk was now detecting multiple biorhythms on board the ship. Allura couldn't contain her gasp.

Voltron dispersed, the lions positioning themselves right on top of the ship while the paladins jumped inside. They hovered in zero gravity, with Allura navigating via a light from her wrist band. Hunk was trembling in his suit, as usual, at the pitch blackness that complemented the eerily haunting atmosphere. Allura recognized the design of this ship, having seen several of them in her youth. A few details had changed, but overall it was familiar enough for Allura to recognize which path lead to where.

As they traveled, Allura and Keith suddenly felt a strange presence. It was as if the very atmosphere of this place was heaving down upon them.

"Hey, you alright?" Lance asked, notching Keith suddenly zoning out after accidentally crashing into him.

"Y-Yeah, I'm fine." Keith replied before carrying on. Allura whirled around, feeling as though there was someone behind her. She scoffed to herself upon seeing it was only her fellow paladins. She shook her head, closed her eyes shut for a moment before gathering her composure. This place, this ship, it almost felt… alive, somehow.

They entered one room, the door opening up upon sensing their presence. Allura spotted a dashboard and a black hand print. Knowing it was designed to recognize Altean DNA, she placed her hand on its surface. The lights went on and the gravity returned. From the looks of it, this was some kind of study room, but given the horrible shape it was in, it could have been any type of room. Everything was left on the floor, wires and broken pieces of what they assumed was some kind of computer or machine were scattered worthlessly, and a single space suit sat on the corner.

Lance removed the helmet to see if he could find some kind of clue as to why it was left behind, only to immediately scream in terror, drop the helmet and literally jump back at the sight of a skeleton within the suit.

That was _definitely_ not a good sign.

Allura was already feeling the terrors creeping up within her chest. Someone sent that signal, and given the state of the skeleton, this poor soul couldn't have been the one to send it. Allura checked the files on the computer, hoping they still worked. A screen appeared and Allura was almost taken aback. It was a male Altean, but someone she didn't recognize. He was speaking about bringing some kind of comet to her father, but the recording kept flickering. The man was wearing the exact same suit as the skeleton. Tragic still, he voiced his fear of not being able to return to Altea right before a blinding light flashed and the recoding ended.

This opened up more questions. This man couldn't have been the one who sent the recent message, but if not then who was? Somebody was clearly still on the ship, maybe seeking help now that one of their scientists had been… disposed of.

Well, they were certainly right about one thing. There were still people alive on the ship… they just weren't as welcoming as they had envisioned.

Two masked strangers jumped out at the paladins from the ceiling. One possessed and unmistakably human-like body while the other looked like a long worm with multiple hands. They didn't have much time to question whether or not they have seen that body type before on account of Lance already started shooting at them with his bayard. The masked strangers had their weapons aimed at the paladins.

Keith sliced the human-like stranger's gun in two, who in turn kicked the Black Paladin back and was about to attack Lance, a sword extended from his hand. Pidge fired her bayard which struck the stranger right in the face, and his mask fell off in pieces.

The paladins gasped, freezing in place. The face shape, the eyes, the hair color, the body build. It was all unmistakably uncanny. The only primary difference was the sleeker hairstyle and the absence of a scar across his nose.

Hunk had the other worm creature in head lock, who slammed the paladin with his tail before rolling out of his grasp. His mask, despite still being over his head, cleared up, revealing himself to be Slav himself. The crazy scientist engineer who kept babbling about alternate realities was standing right in front of them, alongside a copy of their closest friend. The man stood back up, aiming his weapon at them.

"No way… Shiro?" Hunk said, blinking in disbelief. How was Shiro here? Was this where he disappeared to? Did something happen? Had his memory loss gotten worse and that's why he didn't recognize any of them?

"Stand back!" the Shiro look alike said. Strangely enough, his voice sounded different.

"If you've come for the comet you'll never get it!" Slav said, sounding disturbingly braver than he did the last time they saw him. "I'll die before I let it fall into Altean hands!" he spatted, narrowing his eyes at Allura in specific.

The princess was startled. She knew Slav wasn't the most amicable fellow, but why was he staring at her like she had just murdered his own family? She recognized that same look of hatred from many others who detested the Galra. Now she knew just how painful that feeling was.

Keith changed his black bayard from his signature sword back to its non threatening state and rose his hands as a sign of truce. "Shiro, please. It's us."

"My name is not Shiro." the man replied. Keith arched an eyebrow. Well, he definitely didn't sound like Shiro. When did Shiro become Scandinavian?

"What the heck is happening right now?" Hunk asked, eyes wide like diner plates. "Did everyone get amnesia and then wake up with weird accents?"

"You know us?" the Shiro look alike asked. Seriously, Keith wasn't sure if he would get used to hearing Shiro sound like that. It was just so… weird. No disrespect to Scandinavians in general, but listening to his best friend, who has always been Japanese-American, suddenly take on an entirely new nationality was jarring. So, if this wasn't Shiro then, who was he? And why did he look like Shiro? And why was Slav actually being brave for once and not being a complete nuisance?

Just where in the galaxy where they?!

"Of course we know you!" Lance said, "You're Shiro, our leader. Paladin of the Black lion. And you're Slav, I rescued you from a space prison. You're also slightly crazy."

"I may be crazy, but you've never rescued me from anywhere before!" Slave said. He paused before continuing, eyes widening. "Unless…'

"This is an alternate reality!/You're from an alternate reality" both Pidge and Slav finished in unison. Hunk cocked his head in confusion. "I think when we went through that glowy explody area we entered an Alternate Reality." Pidge clarified, using Lance's own name for the large glowing mass outside.

So, it would appear Slav wasn't completely off his rocker when he spoke of these things after all. Alternate Realities were indeed possible then?

For Keith, Allura, and even Pidge this was rather jarring to see that there were different realities coexisting with their own, but for Lance and Hunk this kind of made sense. Long story short: They've read plenty of AU fanfictions of their favorite shows in their spare time, so Shiro suddenly being Scandinavian and Slav actually tolerable… somehow, they can see that fly in an entirely different plane of existence.

Never the less, reading about this kind of stuff was one thing, but to actually witness it first hand was an entirely different matter. Especially when it involved one of their closest friends.

"Why did you attack the captain and his crew?" Allura asked, bravely stepping forward, now side by side with Keith. This man may look like Shiro, but it wasn't him. He just bluntly said it wasn't his name. Whoever he was, and whoever this alternate Slav's business was, they had some serious explaining to do.

Allura was taken aback when the not-Shiro pointed his weapon at her. "Stay back, Altean!" he warned. There was that look of pure hatred again. Keith instinctively placed his arm in front of Allura, his bayard once again turning into a sword.

"Why don't _you_ stand back!" Keith warned. Shiro or not, _nobody_ points a gun at his girlfriend.

"We found the ship this way." said Slav, "But I can't say I'm sorry they're gone." the beeper on his wrist went off and a screen appeared, revealing a teladuv-looking ship just above the ship they were in. "Oh, no! More Alteans!"

"Wait. More Alteans?!" Allura picked up the distress in Slav's voice, but all she could feel as an adrenaline coursing through her veins right now.

"Sven, let's go!" Slav said while assisting his human companion up from where they entered. Keith fought the urge to groan. The guy's name was _Sven?_… Really? Now Keith was having _Frozen_ flashbacks. He shuddered a bit as the two companions left.

"What the heck just happened?" Lance asked, pretty much voicing everyone's thoughts at the moment.

"Did he say we're being boarded by Alteans?" Allura said. Everyone else was distracted by the strangeness, but Allura was more focused on the fact that there were Alteans boarding the ship as they speak.

The doors slid open and a patrol of sentries, identical to the gladiator they used to practice in the training deck, arrived, aiming their guns at the paladins, who readied to fight. All but Allura, who stood paralyzed. A massive creature stood at the entrance, alongside a man with pointed ears and markings on his face. A woman stepped forward. Strong, stoic and of clear military background given her athletic built. Her short hair and low voice onto added to her intimidating presence. She was a woman who commanded respect with every breath, and yet the whiteness of her armor somewhat clashed with the harshness of her eyes. She was cold, but not deadly.

"Put down your weapons!" she ordered. Her hair was of a grayish pink color, creamy skin and violet eyes with lime green markings on her face.

Allura gasped. While everyone else saw this woman was a possible threat, all Allura could focus on where the nostalgic appeal of the armor and clothing, and that these two individuals had facial markings and pointed ears… just like herself.

"Alteans…" she gasped, unsure if she could even control the volume of her voice. The princess felt herself tremble at the fear of waking up and realizing this was nothing more than a dream. Keith kept himself close, his hand reaching out to rest on her back, reassuring her that this was indeed real. She was right, the Altean really were here. They were from a different reality, certainly, but they were here.

In a way, this was kind of a bittersweet revelation. This confirmed that there were still no more Alteans left in their reality, but there were in this one. Perhaps, not all hope was lost after all.

The mystery Altean woman's stern cold gaze melted into one of awe and confusion. "It… it can't be…. Empress." the woman kneeled before Allura, as did the other Altean man, the large creature and all the sentries.

"Uh, I'm confused, what is going on?" Hunk asked. For a smart guy, he was seriously lost right now. This Alternate reality business was starting to get less and less fun by the minute.

"Are you, Empress Allura?" the Altean woman asked, looking up at Allura as if she were gazing up at a long since deceased close friend.

"I am _Princess_ Allura." she clarified kindly. "Please, stand."

The woman complied and she and the others behind her rose back to their feet. Now Allura was just as curious as she was delighted to see her own kind again. Why were they calling her Empress?

"I am commander Hira, Empress. How are you here? You put down the Galra uprising and established the Altean Empire ten thousand years ago."

Keith and Allura looked at each other, taking in what Hira had just said. So, this reality was like a reverse of their own. Instead of it being the Galra Empire, it was the Altean Empire. Except, that still didn't explain why Slav and Sven were so terrified of them, or why they felt such hatred toward Allura.

"Where we're from, all the Alteans were wiped out by Zarkon when he destroyed your planet." Keith explained to Hira, his hand never once leaving Allura. This news horrified Hira, and Keith wasn't too surprised that it would.

"Where did you come from?" the Altean man asked.

"This may sound strange, but we come from another reality." Allura said. "We are the paladins of Voltron." as expected, the Altean had never heard of the weapon. It would appear Voltron was non-existent here as well. This Alternate Reality business was not going to be easy to keep up with, that much they gathered.

While Voltron was a vague concept to the Alteans, the part about being from another reality was familiar. "That would explain how you're still alive." Hira said, studying Allura. "And still so young, no less."

"We received a distress signal from this ship." Allura said. "But, when we arrived…" her eyes darted towards the corpse.

Hira's eyes widened, but then her lips somewhat twisted into a subtle hint of a frown when her aquamarine eyes gave Keith a short glance. It was a fleeting moment, but he quickly felt a chill in the air.

"The signal must have been going off all this time, and you somehow managed to detect it." Hira explained. "Please, come with us. Perhaps we may be able to help one another."

(~)

Allura knew that these Alteans were not necessarily the same ones she remembered, but at the same time she felt in her heart a sense of belonging she hadn't felt in a long time. The fact that she was conversing with _actual_ Alteans for the first time in ten thousand years filled her with such joy she could barely contain it. Naturally, she did a splendid job in keeping herself composed, though her beaming bright smile was difficult for anyone not to notice.

Hira's scientist companion led them to a dusty old laboratory, where a massive comet with luminescent outlines stood within a large glass containment. Allura stepped closer towards the glass. The comet was almost as massive as Voltron itself. "Incredible." she whispered. Her father had told her he used to do do experiments with comets, but he had never mentioned anything like this before.

Hira approached the princess, smiling as she gazed at the massive rock. "Your father, King Alfor found these comets long before you were even born. From his studies, he learned they possessed incredible power, far beyond anything we could imagine. We've spent years trying to detect another just like it."

Hira's scientist assistant approached the two Altean women. "We believe this comet could possibly hold the key to uncovering the secrets of that vortex. There are many who would kill to get their greedy hands on this treasure." he said. Allura remembered Slav and Not-Shiro from earlier. She debated on wether or not to inform them about the two, but for some reason she hesitated. The look of hatred in their eyes was still fresh in her mind's eye. The painful familiarity of them are what made her hesitant to inform Hira about them. If anything happened, she and the paladins could take care of it. Besides, what's a couple of possible thieves to helping fellow Alteans in need?

"We would be more than happy to help." Allura turned to the green paladin. "Pidge, do you think you could get a closer look at that comet?"

"Sure thing."

Allura then turned towards Hira, "I still have so many questions. What exactly is the Altean Empire? What happened to the Galra? What has changed since--"

Hira bowed before Allura then showed her the exit. "Come with me. While they work, I would be more than happy to answer your questions, Empress." she said, leading Allura out the door.

"I'm coming to." Keith said, taking another step closer to Allura, casually placing a hand on her shoulder. A gesture Hira noticed that the Empress was disturbingly comfortable with. The older Altean shot Keith a disapproving glare before quickly recollecting herself. Keith felt that chill again once he realized Hira's smile seemed rather forced.

"Very well."

As they exited the room, Keith shot his team a quick glance before continuing to walk alongside the two women. His hand never once leaving Allura's shoulder, while she held her hand over his. She was eager for the two of them to learn more about this reality. More about these Alteans.

As Hira led them down the corridor, she enthralled Allura with the history of how the Altean Empire came to be, while every other time, Keith kept feeling the older Altean woman's glare hovering over him. Standing alongside Hira was like standing next to a viper, who was getting ready to strike. For one brief moment, Hira took the time to converse with her scientist who informed her of a very important information they uncovered about the comet. Keith politely escorted Allura a few feet away from Hira while they spoke.

"Allura, I know you're excited about all of this, but I'm not getting a very good vibe from this this woman." Keith whispered, his violet eyes narrowing at Hira, who he could swear was staring back at him despite conversing with her scientist.

"What are you talking about? She's offering to help us. Perhaps by understanding how this reality works we may find a way back. Besides, they may be of great help to us in the fight against Zarkon."

"I know, but--"

"Forgive the interruption." Hira cut in, forcing Keith to suck in his own lips once she manifested behind Allura. "Please, let us continue." The conversation early was all but forgotten as Hira enthralled Allura with more tales of their reality.

Keith kept a watchful eye on Hira. There was still so much that didn't add up. Where Slave and Sven thieves trying to steal the comet? If so, why did they have such a hatred and terror for the Alteas, if that look they gave Allura was any indication. On top of all of that, there was just something about Hira that really rubbed Keith the wrong way. The venomous way she stared at him couldn't have been simply because she didn't like him. What reason would she to have such distaste towards someone she only just met? Was it because she picked up that Keith and Allura had an intimate relationship? If so, why would that be any reason to dislike him?

The alarm clock noise was giving him a serious migraine. Just what was it about this place that made Keith feel uneasy?

"So, the Alteans in this reality defeated the Galra?" Allura said as Hira led her and Keith inside the control room.

"Led by you, my Empress. Without your will to fight and avenge the loss of your father, Altea would not have been able to spread peace and stability throughout the universe. After the battle between Altea and the Galra ended, there was still much to be done. Defeating Zarkon was the first step, but we refused to give up until all worlds knew the true peace that Altea has achieved. The coalition that your father established had expanded, growing more and more over the millennia. Now, we are a thriving Empire, growing more and more with each passing day."

Allura beamed. The war that was a constant in her reality was close to none existent here. "And what of the other Galra?" Allura asked, the thought manifesting in her mind like a quick blink.

"What do you mean?" Hira asked, looking rather perplexed.

"Zarkon was defeated, but what of the rest of the Galra. They weren't…" her eyes darted towards Keith for a moment before looking back at Hira, "_All_ wiped out, where they?"

"Why would that be of any concern?" Hira asked, failing to hide a chuckle. Keith felt his jaw clench.

"Just because Zarkon was evil that doesn't mean all of the Galra were the same. He and my father were once allies. Surely we spared a few of them." Allura said hopefully. Once, she would have delighted in the idea of all Galra being gone from the universe, but thinking it now, she realized just how cruel that mentality was. Her anger truly was a plague within her heart, so when she heard that Zarkon and the Galra were defeated, the idea of innocent Galra, those with kindness in their hearts, being killed off for the sins of their leader was not only unfair, but outright unjust.

But, then again, this reality's version of herself… probably had never met Keith, or Ulaz, or the Blade of Marmora. So, she probably never even had the chance to see the good in the Galra.

Hira wanted to laugh out loud, until her gaze met that of the boy who stood at Allura's side the entire conversation. Hira's expression softened. "Fearless as you are merciful." she said finally. "History tells you said the exact same thing ten thousand years ago."

Allura breathed a sigh of relief. So, it wasn't all bad for the Galra then. Thank goodness. But Keith wasn't entirely sold. Hira hesitated before answering then went back to that kind tone she used when speaking to Allura.

"While several did go down with their leader, the ones spared offered to join our new coalition. To this day, their descendants remain fateful to the Empire, continuing to spread peace to all planets across the universe. Since then, progress has expanded, scientific advancements have been made. Citizens that might have been casualties of war in Empress Allura's day can now be rehabilitated. Entire races that warred for a millennia can know peace, and help us to further our new world."

"So, they become part of the Altean Peace Movement?" Allura asked, remembering it from their conversation from earlier. Hira nodded her head.

"Indeed. Preservation of life is the Altean Empire's highest priority."

"Keith, can you believe it?" Allura said while gripping Keith's arm, a little too tightly. She always knew her culture was one of peace and progress, and to see them spreading their wisdom far and wide was almost too much to take in.

"Yeah. That's great." Keith said. He really did like the idea. Everything Hira said, living in a world without a war going sounded like a fantasy. Still, that viper woman kept making him feel uncomfortable. Not to mention, there was something… eerie with the way Hira was practically bragging about their Altean Empire.

"Of course, while we have achieved much over the millennia, there is till much work to be done." Hira said, "Unfortunately, there are still those who will stop at nothing to take down our Empire. Thankfully, from the information we have just received on the comet, thanks to the help of your friends, we can achieve more than we have ever thought possible. We can spread our peace and stability even farther than before. At long last, no one individual will loose their lives to the free will of an innocent being ever again."

"That sounds a little ominous, don't you think?" Keith said, not caring on wether it sounded polite or not. "If you take away one's free will, how is that considered achieving peace if they don't have much of a choice?"

"It is merely a phrase of words, young man." Hira clarified. "I'm more than certain the Empress comprehended what I meant." she looked at Allura. The princess looked at Keith and then back at Hira, simply dismissing the whole thing. Hira was passionate about Altea's goal, she caught that much from their entire conversation. Admittedly it did sound a tad much, but Keith was just being paranoid. She knew what Hira intended to say…right?

Suddenly, that sense of someone watching them was felt all around her again. It was as if the air itself was alive.

"Empress, let me show you something." Hira tapped onto the surface of her wrist and a beam of light manifested above their heads before it expanded, revealing the holographic image of a planet. Allura's hands trembled, her eyes blurry from the tears. There it was again. Her home planet, only it looked a bit different. It had grown, there were space stations located around it, and if she didn't know any better, she could have sworn she could see touches of the green fields with juniberry flowers.

"This is our Altea." Hira said, marveling at her home planet with immense pride. "Come with me, allow me to show you the magnificence it has achieved."

"Return to Altea?" Allura said as the hologram disappeared. She pinched the bridge of her nose as a means to keep her tears in. "It seemed like such an impossible dream, I could never allow the thought."

"Allura, this may not be the Altea you remember." Keith said, his voice becoming softer in comparison to the cold way he addressed Hira.

"You're right." Hira said before Keith could utter another word. "This Altea is home to a people who have made sure that the Galras scourge was unable to spread across the universe. As it did in your reality."

Keith wanted to protest, but was unable to. As much as it infuriated him to listen to that smugly cold tone of hers, Hira did make a point. Truth be told, Keith wasn't sure if to believe Hira or not. He didn't have any concrete reason not to believe her, but he still couldn't find any valid reason to fully trust her either. Was this Altea really such a utopia, or was Hira just wrapped up in her own delusion and she was taking Allura down with her? Keith honestly wasn't sure, all he knew was that, even if he couldn't see it, something was telling him that something was off here.

Hira turned back to Allura, once again dawning that kind tone. "Empress, I assure you, we will do everything in our power to help you, just as you have helped us. The comet on board this ship has the ability to travel between realities." this revelation made Keith's eyes widen. "If you will activate this ancient ship's power, we can move forward and remove the comet from the tear. We can use it to travel to your universe and bring peace there. Even to the Galra."

Allura wasn't sure if it was her own instincts talking, or perhaps Keith's overprotective paranoia has finally penetrated through her head, but for some reason, removing the comment and then using its ability to travel between realities just like that… it was both exciting yet, also kind of risky. But, was it a risk she was willing to take? These Alteans have come so far in this reality. Perhaps this was the real reason why they were brought here to begin with. Perhaps this was the key to ending this war.

To live in a world with peace and love was all Allura had ever wanted. It sounded like such a childish dream, but if it was indeed possible, then she should take it. Her heart was bursting as she approached the center of the room to where the pillars still stood. She froze for a moment.

"Maybe you should think about this, Allura." Keith said, "It wasn't that long ago when we thought all Galra were bad. Maybe things aren't as black and white as she's making them out to be."

The last thing Keith would ever want was to crush Allura's dream of being with her people again, but like it or not, these Alteans were not Allura's people. They weren't the same ones she knew. This entire reality wasn't their home, and he was worried Allura's homesickness wasn't allowing her to think clearly.

He himself was torn. Should he trust these Alteans, or question them? Already this reality was messing with his head as it was messing with Allura's. The atmosphere here was just twisted, strange and alien (more so than the _actual_ aliens they have encountered). Even Allura could feel it. She wanted to trust these Alteans, but the reality and risk of this decisions were present just as much. It was as if, the longer she stayed here, the more she could subconsciously detect something in the air of this reality. Allura shook her head, forcing herself to think straight.

"Keith, these are my people. And they may be the strongest allies we have in this war."

Her Galra boyfriend didn't protest, but instead allowed Allura to make this decision, hoping he was wrong. Was he? Was she wrong? Was Hira wrong? Why did he keep feeling as if something was trying to tell him something he somewhat knew, yet wasn't entirely sure if he did?

Allura chose to ignore that nagging feeling in the air and did as Hira requested. She activated the ship and moved it further from the tear, freeing it. From the other side, Coran lost all visual on the vortex, after he had been trying for hours to try and locate Voltron. Once the process was complete, Hira smiled proudly.

"You've one it, Allura. Soon we will be able to spread peace throughout every reality."

Allura grew more and more excited at the idea of being able to end this way in a peaceful manner, but at the same time, that ominous air all around her began to hit down upon her harder and harder, keeping her from feeling fully happy. Why did she sense something bad was about to happen? Judging from the look in her boyfriend's eyes, he felt it too.

Was this feeling from herself, or something else?

The doors opened again, this time revealing Lance, Pidge Hunk, accompanied by Sven and Slav, all handcuffed and being led by the sentries and Hira's scientist.

"What is going on?" Allura asked, channeling her status of authority as their supposed Empress.

"Empress, the Guns of Gamara have infiltrated this ship." the scientist said. Allura whittled a gasp. Not only because Sven and Slav had returned, but because her own teammates were held captive by the very Alteans who welcomed them with open arms.

"These people are working with them."

"Let our friends go!" Keith ordered, but Hira then whirled around, staring down at him with vengeful eyes.

"We don't take orders from a Galra scourge!"

Keith and Allura were taken aback. How in the name of Voltron did Hira find out Keith was Galra? They never told her? It would explain Hira's venomous reaction towards Keith, but how?

"I recognize those eyes anywhere." the older Altean woman sneered. Her once calm and courteous demeanor had vanished, leaving not a trace of what was once there.

"Hira, what is wrong with you?" Allura asked, taking a step closer to Keith, staring at the woman with a cold glare. "So what if he is Galra, we have made peace with them, have we not?"

"It's just as I've been telling you before, Allura." Keith said, staring at Hira with the same amount of anger and resentment she had displayed for him. "She's not what she appears to be."

"Everything I have told Allura was the honest truth. We truly have achieved peace."

"Peace at the sake of freedom!" Slav exclaimed. "You and your Empire have turned this universe into an army of slaves!"

"Slaves?" Allura repeated. Hira didn't say anything about slaves. "What is he talking about?" she asked Hira in a demanding, yet diplomatic tone.

"Non-cogs are not slaves!" the scientist exclaimed back at Slav, practically spitting.

"I asked a question!" Allura's voice raised, causing the man to flinch in fear.

"If you want proof, just look at what the big guy's got for a head accessory!" Lance nodded his head towards the large creature that had stood beside the Alteans the entire time. Completely silent, almost like a walking statue. His stare was blank, focused only on the Empress.

Allura studied the creature and, as if obeying Lance, he turned around, revealing some kind of strange contraption that appeared integrated into the back of his head, injecting some kind of substance through these tiny little tubes.

Allura felt her entire body shiver. That didn't look normal at all, and if the poor creature's blank expression was any indication, then that could only mean one thing. Mind control. That was how Hira and the Alteans achieved such peace, by removing any willing decision and submitting everyone to their ideals.

Suddenly, everything else Hira had told her was starting to make more sense. Allura had been so caught up in the fantasy of a perfect suffering-free world and how they have recruited so many and ended so many wars wasn't because they reached out to people through compassion or understanding. It was by force. They've turned what Allura and her father had built into a warped version of everything they have stood for.

Keith was right all along. He was right not to trust Hira, and Allura should have listened to that warning sensation she had been feeling all around her.

"Enough!" The scientist spatted, "You're the ones who spread chaos and destruction!" He looked at Slav with sinister eyes. "We are going to scan that brain of yours and get every last rebel location. Finally our wars can end."

"We won't let you do this!" Keith, with his sword in hand, ready to release his friends, but stopped when Allura gently taped his bicep. The princess looked at Hira, pleading to her.

"Hira, please. We both want the same thing. We both want peace, but this is not the way to achieve it. You can't force your own will on others. Buy doing this, you are no better than Zarkon."

Hira, who once gave Allura nothing but the welcoming friendship and trust that was common amongst Alteans, and instead looked at her with the same amount of disapproval and disgust as she did Keith.

"Aren't I? You may look like our Empress, but you are nothing like her. She would never have allowed her people to perish as they did at the hands of the Galra. What's worse, you not only take pity on such barbaric beings, but you even selected one of them as your lover." 

"Actually, the proper term is '_boyfriend_'." Lance said, "Where we're from, 'lover' means something else entirely, and that is _not_ where these two are right now."

Everyone else--minus the creature who couldn't even think on his own--gave Lance expressions which ranged from annoyed, startled, to outright irritated. Keith face palmed himself, his face red as the outlines of his armor.

"Seriously, dude?"

"What? I was trying to make this less awkward."

"Too late." Pidge said in a monotone voice, and face to match.

Hira ignored that and returned her attention to Allura, "Regardless of what you call him, it only further proves I was right about you. Your weakness has brought nothing but pain and suffering in your reality. We have brought peace and order to ours, and with this comet we will bring our peace to every reality. You are _no_ Empress of mine."

Allura wasn't shocked to find that she didn't find that comment insulting in the slightest. She would never wish to be the Empress of someone so cold and deranged. This whole time, Hira was only using Allura to move the comet further, knowing she had the power to do so. She had been manipulating her the entire time, which is why she kept such vital information from her.

Deep down, Hira was aware of what she was doing, but her own prideful conscience coaxed her to believe that everything she did was for the right reasons, but didn't trust Allura to believe that because Hira had seen how close she was to a Galra boy.

Well, Hira was done manipulating this princess.

"And you're _no_ Altean."

Both Allura and Keith pulled out their bayards, only for Slav to suddenly start laughing like a maniac. "What are you laughing about?" Lance asked.

"Because this is the reality where everything works out fine!"

Before Lance could ask any further, the sound of explosions were heard all throughout the ship, causing everyone to nearly stumble when the entire spaceship began to tremble. Allura unleashed her whip, wrapped it around Hira's wrist just as she had pulled out an Altean sword, and with great force, hurled the woman against the wall.

The other paladins, Slav and Sven did a dog pile on the sentries and Keith knocked the scientist down by punching his jaw, making a crack in his spectacles. The poor creature who had his will zapped away came at Keith from behind, but Allura charged and leaped over the creature. With him distracted by Allura's presence, Keith saw his chance and came down at the beast with his sword.

Only, instead of injuring him, his bayard managed to slice the device from behind the creature's head into pieces. The creature's eyes widened, emotion and realization flashed in front of him. He scratched the back of his head, rubbing it with his large hands, then smiled at the princess.

"Thank you."

Allura nodded her head then turned to the others. "Let's go!"

Keith un-cuffed the others, the other paladins getting their bayards ready as they ran out the door, alongside Sven and Slav, while the creature stayed behind, smiling in delight upon seeing the Alteans slowly regain consciousness. Time for some sweet payback.

As the paladins and the two rebels ran down the coriander, shooting several sentries in their way. In the left hallway, several more appeared, one aiming its gun directly at Lance. Before he could react, Svene jumped in and took the hit meant for Lance. Sven was injured, but alive, and Slav then opened the hangar, and the sentries were sucked out into space.

Slav remained to tend to an injured Sven, allowing the paladins to hurry back to their lions. They said their thanks for the rebels's help, Lance shook an injured Sven's hand, and they exited the ship to reach their lions.

"This is all my fault." Allura said once she had entered her lion. "I activated the ship. They're going to use the comet to terrorize every reality."

Slav's image appeared on her dashboard screen. "No, you can still get the comet away from them!"

Following Keith's order, Pidge located the comet's exact location on the ship, and the team banded together to form Voltron. They sliced their way right through the ship and took the comet, lifting it away from the ship.

Back on board the ship, while the creature Allura and Keith had freed was indeed powerful, he was still no match for the Alteans advanced technology. While still with his free will in tact, he was subdued and chained to the wall, left unconscious with cuffs that made his muscles weak.

Hira and her scientist prepared to chase after the paladins, but Slav had already tampered with their engines, preventing them from moving their ship, so they had to result to basic fire power. Hira's rage was through the roof, she refused to allow this naive little princess knock off of her Empress get away with this.

The paladins managed to find the exact spot from which they had entered and the vortex opened once again. They escaped the alternate reality Alteans with the comet in tow. Hira had lost.

(~)

Coran cried tears of joy upon seeing the paladins retune, complete with a massive comet. However, Voltron was floating emotionless. Inside, the paladins had all been knocked out by the heavy impact that came with them forcibly pushing their way through the vortex. It was far more draining than just walking through an already established alternate reality vortex.

However, their victory was short lived. Despite her unconscious state, Allura could still hear faint words coming from someone. The voice was male, young and admittedly suave, but in a way that made Allura feel uneasy.

"Thank you for answering my distress signal, Voltron." he said. It was then Allura recognized who this was.

It was Prince Lotor. Hira, nor that deceased scientist from before had sent the signal. He did! How he managed to perfectly replicate an Altean distress code was beyond her, but he did. Yet again, the paladins fell into an elaborate trap designed by Lotor himself. As if having her strings pulled by Hira wasn't humiliating enough, now they couldn't even move their lions. Allura drifted from consciousnessto unconsciousness. The last thing she remembered was hearing Coran's voice calling out to them.

A part of her hoped she was only imaging things, but that was immediately snuffed once they saw that the comet was no longer with them.

Hira may have lost, but so did Voltron. Lotor had won.

(~)

The effects of the vortex had left behind a breathtaking sight. A borealis of bright turquoise clouds floated above the castle. Allura wished she could enjoy the lovely view, but the events of the day weighted on her even more so than that strange aura from the alternate reality. Once they returned home, it was gone. As it no longer existed, but she knew it was real. A reality that was also invisible, if that was even a plausible description.

Keith approached the princess, who sat dejectedly in the center of the control room. Her hair down, her knees pressed against her chest, arms wrapped around herself. She looked so small, so defeated. Keith sat down beside her.

"I should have listened to you." Allura said, not looking at Keith but fully aware of his presence.

"You did the right thing." Keith said while placing his hand on her knee. Allura knew she couldn't deny the reality that she had voluntarily helped these corrupted Alteans, but Keith, being his sweet self as always, didn't dwell on it. He knew she was feeling enough guilt as it was.

"We couldn't let Hira get that ore."

"But now Lotor has it."

"That wasn't your fault. We didn't know."

She finally looked at him. "That is the problem. We never know. You say this isn't my fault, but it is."

"Allura--"

"I appreciate what you're trying to do, Keith, really, but we can't hide the fact that I was the one who coaxed us to follow that distress signal, and I was the one who trusted those Alteans. I was blinded by my own desire to see my people again that I not only placed us all in danger, but now we've lost a powerful object to that Galra prince!"

Allura covered her face, strands of hair falling on her forehead. Keith sighed. "Okay, no argument there. We will find a way to get that comet back."

"And if we don't?" Allura said, looking at Keith once again. "Lotor is always one step ahead of us, and if he succeeds the Galra will finally have a weapon as powerful as Voltron."

How much Keith wished he could magically make this whole scenario better, but he couldn't. He couldn't change the past, nor could he rearrange Allura's memories so she wouldn't blame herself. She was right, she was the one who made these choices, but he also knew well enough that her heart was in the right place. He couldn't be mad at her for this. He didn't want to be mad at her. Besides, the betrayal and Lotor's appearance was punishment enough, and watching her like this was punishment for him as well.

"What can I do?" he asked. Allura looked at him and gave a small smile. Her eyes shimmered, tears rolling down her cheek which Keith started wiping away with his thumb.

"Forgive me?" Allura said, a light sob escaping her lips. 

Keith simply smiled back, kissed her forehead and allowed her to rest her head on his shoulder. "Of course. You'll never have to worry about that."

Allura sighed, comfortably wrapped in Keith's arms. From that moment on, Allura swore she would never allow her emotions of nostalgia cloud her better judgment again. The spirit of Altea will forever live on in her heart, but she had to fully accept the reality that there was no going back to the past. She only had the future to look onwards to. Thankfully, even when she had messed up immensely, she was grateful to the ancients above that she had Keith to stand by her side every step of the way.

They may have lost this round, but the fight wasn't over yet. As for Keith, he swore that Lotor would never get the best of them again. It was go time now. He had cloned that Altean distress code, so he was the one that messed with Allura's expectations. He messed with her emotions, using her love of her people for his own benefit.

The next time Keith saw that pampered brat, it was not going to be pretty. And while the future looked uncertain, and even terrifying at this point, for this one small moment, Keith and Allura allowed themselves to enjoy the beautiful sight before them.

(~)

Allura cleaned her plate, eating a small snack before bed when she bumped into Pidge in the halls. The green paladin dragged herself to her room, no doubt doing another late night search for her brother and father.

"Pidge." Allura called out just as her friend was mere inches from her door.

"Yeah?" Pidge asked, complete with a yawn.

"While we were in that alternate reality, did you feel anything… odd?"

The shorter girl blinked twice. "You want me to mention just one?"

"I mean, in the air. Around you. Didn't it feel almost… alive, somehow? Like, it was trying to reach you?"

"The air?" Pidge tilted her head. "I saw a Scandinavian version of Shiro, if the air was trying to talk to me, I may have been a bit too distracted by that to notice."

"You know what, never mind. Good night."

"Good night."

Allura walked down the hallway, thinking about Pidge's reply. If she had felt something strange in the atmosphere, Pidge of all people would have noticed. Not much gets pass her, but from the looks of it, nothing else aside from the obvious stood out to her.

That night, Allura choose to place those memories of whatever sensation she felt in the alternate reality to rest at the back of her mind. She was home now. She was in her own reality. It may still be filled with war and suffering, but at least the beings had free will. The decision her father made to send the lions away made far more sense now. If he hadn't done so, perhaps this reality would have become more like Hira's. If they were going to end this war, they would do it the right way.

As the princess slumbered, vague memories of that mysterious, half-existent and half-nonexistent aura lingered. Little did she know, Keith was having a similar experience. At the very far, far back of their minds they heard a sound. It was incredibly faint, but it was there.

If they didn't know any better, it sounded vaguely like a distantly soft and maybe tranquil…

Roar.


	26. Chapter 26

Three days had passed since the events within the alternate reality, and Allura still had yet to forgive herself for her foolish acts. Often times, she would submerge herself with work, working alongside Keith in the hunt for Lotor. Now Keith knew how Allura felt whenever he became driven to find the Galra prince.

This leadership business was never easy, but somehow it had become even harder. Just when he was getting into the groove of leading everyone in a rational manner, he is struck down, once gain, by the cold hard slap of reality. The Galra may have lost their leader, but this new guy had the upper hand on them in ways they never imagined, or were even fully aware of. Loosing the comet only placed him more on edge.

But Allura would not have Keith feel responsible for this. _She_ was the one who coaxed him into going after that distress signal in the first place after he was stated it could have been a trap. The first time Keith took maters into his own hands, he led the team into a gas plant for Lotor to play around with them while they were defenseless. And when Allura took maters into her own hands, she not only placed everyone in danger, but also lost a powerful object in the process. An object Lotor no doubt wanted to seek himself, but used Voltron to get it for him. He somehow knew Voltron would be able to get through the vortex without a scratch.

Just how much did this guy know? And what were the lengths of his knowledge? Did he know as much about Voltron as Alfor did? Does he know more? So many questions, so much stress, so the couple vented out their frustrations in the only way they knew how.

Sparring. Only, this time it was with the gladiator and not with each other. They had a lot of anger to get out.

In the span of thirty minutes, Allura and Keith had sliced through, decapitated and or utterly slaughtered the gladiator robots without so much as a flinch or a blink of hesitation. It was all or nothing. A couple of savage angry teenagers just letting it all out.

After a while, both were standing above their latest victims, both sweating and panting. They weren't entirely sure if their exhaustion stemmed from their muscles aching, or their emotions feeling as worn and down as, well, the remains of the gladiators.

"I think we broke it." Keith said in between sighs.

"The gladiators or the computer?"

"Yes." Keith ran his hand through his sweaty hair, bangs sticking to the side of his face. Allura's bun had halfway come undone. The bun had strands of hair sticking out, and longer streaks of hair fell over Allura's shoulder, one even nearly wrapped around her upper arm. She looked like she had dipped head first into the pool. This actually gave Keith an idea.

Keith changed into his swimming trunks while Allura wore a one piece swimsuit, pink with blue and gold outlines and some kind of symbol on the back. After half an hour of venting, the cooling waters relaxed their aching bodies as well as their senses. Both relaxed on the pool's side, splashing water onto their faces, which still felt hot from all of that rage.

Allura was startled when Keith had ambushed her with a splash of his own. She growled upon seeing that mischievous look in his eyes.

"What? It's not like your hair wasn't wet enough already." he said with a shrug, "At least you don't reek anymore."

"Oh, I'm the one who smells awful?" The princess smirked wickedly and slashed at her boyfriend with brute force, nearly knocking him down. Keith was soaked to the bone, his bangs draped over his face that even his nose was covered.

Their laugher bounced off the walls, splashing each other like rambunctious little kids. It was hard to tell on wether their almost hysteric laughter came from them splashing each other, or if this was yet another way of letting off the stress. One moment, you're angry and you want to slash something with a sword, the next you start laughter for almost no reason. All they did know was that wether angry or laughing, their spirits felt lighter right now.

They eventually stopped splashing one another, and just leaned on one another laughing like maniacs. Allura had one arm wrapped around Keith's shoulders, while the other rested on his chest. Her face felt hot and her cheeks flushed with red. The last time she saw him shirtless was during a time of distress, that even when he held her in his arms she was too exhausted from piloting the ship to really take his beauty.

The laugher slowly died down and the two looked into each other eyes. Keith removed some strands of wet hair from Allura's face, which wouldn't help as much since she was still wet. With all of that stress out of their systems, their minds had cleared up immensely. While the looming threat of Lotor was still at large, these small moments were well worth appreciating.

"I truly am sorry." Allura said. "I never should have coaxed you to go into that vortex. You were right."

"I know. But, in retrospect, how is it any different than when I led the team into that gas planet?" Allura opened her mouth and, once again, was stuck. Keith only chuckled at her silence, which made her blush. "We were both blinded by grief. You with your people and me with Shiro."

Allura knew he's was right. She had learned the hard way not to jump into a situation you weren't ready for, she learned that with the Blue Lion, and Keith with the Black Lion. But when it came to her loss, Allura hadn't thought clearly. She truly was blinded by her desire to dig up the past again.

"I suppose. But, there's really no point in going back and forth with this. What's done is done, now we just have to keep on fighting." Allura then placed her hand over her heart, "And this time, I promise, from heart and from soul, the next time you warn me something could be a trap, I will listen."

"So, we're okay?"

To answer his question, the princess pushed him back into the water. Once again, his hair was all over his face like a dark wet blanket. He moved his bangs to see Allura laughing proudly to herself.

"Yes. Yes, we are."

And with that, the splash fight continued.

(~)

After drying himself up and changing back into his normal cloths, Keith decided to lay down on his bed. It was already getting late, and they had already done enough work for the day, and he had some time to both lash out and relax with Allura. Some sleep would certainly have his head even more cleared up.

For the first time in a long time, Keith was feeling, surprisingly, pretty good. Despite the Lotor dilemma and all, Keith was slowly settling into this leadership deal. It wasn't luxurious, and at times even more stressful than when he was just the right hand man to Shiro, but there was something almost… fulfilling about having this kind of responsibility.

A responsibility to the team and to the universe. It was scary, and yet at the same time, it was something he couldn't imagine himself not doing. Getting to bond with the other paladins was admittedly enjoyable, and he's even warmed up to the Black Lion in this short amount of time. He felt somewhat safe when he piloted her, but at the same time whenever he struggled his endurance allowed him to push through. As if she were testing him in some way.

Allura often had to deal with the stress of piloting the castle and being a leader like her father, just as Keith struggled with being as good a leader as Shiro. They shared their situation, and by talking things out, even after they both messed up either out of insecurity or grief or whatever, they never forgot that only when working together could they truly accomplish anything. The same went for the team as a whole.

This wasn't an easy life, that was for sure, but it was one Keith was slowly growing to… actually apreciate. All he hoped for now was that, whatever came next, he wouldn't mess up up nearly as bad as he did before. Lotor was the target. Take him down, the Galra Empire breaks down again. Simple as that.

Just as sleep was about to take hold, Keith heard a familiar roar. He jolted out of his bed and ran down towards the hangars where he stood before the Black Lion.

"What is it?"

The creature's eyes glowed yellow and lowered its head, opening its mouth. Keith hurried inside and once he sat down, the lion showed him some coordinates. It appeared to be coming from one of those Galra fleets, but the energy signature within was different. The lion hummed soft growled into Keith's mind. The half-Galra, for a momentum almost couldn't breath.

(~)

"Allura, wake up!"

The princess was half asleep when she sat upright on her bed. "Uh… Keith? What is it?" she rubbed her sleepy eyes.

"I'm sorry to barge in like this, but you won't believe what just happened!"

Allura was now fully awake, staring into her boyfriend's startled face. He looked like he had witnessed the dead come back to life.

"What is it?"

"We found him."


	27. Chapter 27

"Alright team, I've got my eye on the targets. I'll cover you from up he--Hey! Keith, I had that guy!" Lance suppressed the urge to groan while the Black Paladin in red and white armor sliced his sword through the Galra droids, deflecting their laser blasts with his shield.

Well, no point in pouting like a five-year-old, Lance thought. He proceeded to do his job and shot at the other sentries. He and the rest of the paladins had infiltrated another Galra military base. Funny how everything felt like it did several days, and or weeks ago, before their former leader returned.

Literally yesterday, Keith had awoken everyone in the middle of the night, claiming the Black Lion had somehow detected Shiro lost in space. Allura piloted the ship, following the Black Lion and wormholed their way through to find a busted and old Galra fighter ship hovering in a deserted part of space. Inside was none other than Shiro himself, though he didn't resemble the great, fearless hero that left them.

What they saw was a broken man. His ribcage was nearly showing, and his eyes and skin were sickeningly pale. His hair had grown mere inches above his waistline, which had shrunken quite a bit. His face was dirty with a mustache and beard growing in. His teeth looked yellow, and he smelled like he had been locked inside a room with no air. Which was indeed the case seeing as he had been traveling in that small ship for who knows how long.

The first thing they did was take him to the healing pod to check for injuries. He was breathing haggardly, his oxygen levels from inside the ship were dangerously low. Another minute or so and he would have suffocated. The very thought sent their hearts racing into a panic.

Keith and Lance hoisted the man, helping him walk. The relief Keith felt of having his best friend back was shoved aside for the feeling of regret and worry upon seeing Shiro, an already scarred man, even more worn and beaten than he was before. One wondered just how long would it be until Shiro could finally catch a break.

Once out of the healing pod, Hunk handed him some food. Nothing too fancy, just anything to fill his stomach. Shiro ate like a rabid animal in a way that would certainly give Ember a run for her money. He drank as many bottles, cups, even gallons of water he could, anything to fill his stomach.

Once he felt satisfied, he leaned back against the solid chair, soaking in the intoxicating feeling of being inside an actual building with actual food, clean water, and a bathroom. A nice shower sounded like heaven to him right about now.

The whole time, none of the paladins, nor Coran, left his side. Shiro didn't mind. If anything, he threatened them with his mechanical hand if either of them left him alone. How he missed them terribly. He missed Lance's attempts at making funny jokes, even if they never were. He missed Hunk's cooking, Pidge's snark at Lance's jokes, and Coran's bombastic nature.

Keith stood beside Shiro, patting him on the shoulder. The look of relief and joy in the young man's eyes made Shiro feel almost guilty. He didn't forget what he told Keith before he disappeared. He had so many questions. How did the do? How was the progress? Did they run into too much trouble?

He opened his mouth to speak, but what came out instead was a loud burp. The entire room erupted into laughter. The weight of Shiro's periling journey began to unclasp.

Allura patted his left shoulder, crunching down a bit to meet him halfway. "Why don't you get some rest. You look like you haven't slept in days." she said sweetly. Shiro, in good nature, patted her hand with his own. She had become so dear to him since they all first arrived at the castle. The princess who made Keith's face brighten in a way he had never seen before, and who was wiling to risk her own neck for him and the rest of the team. He could almost cry at how happy he was to be with his family again.

"I have so many questions."

"We'll get to that later." Keith said, helping his old friend back up to his feet. "But Allura's right, you need to get your strength back. Just take it easy for a little while, okay?"

Shiro wanted to object, but after what he had endured, he didn't feel he could take another step without collapsing.

"Okay. But first… bathroom, please?"

After another good laugh, and a well deserved shower, Shiro collapsed onto his old bed, taking in the softness of the fabric. He prayed for a dreamless sleep, and he got his wish. Keith knocked on his door to check if he was alright. He smiled seeing that Shiro was sound asleep.

Shiro said he had a lot of questions, well so did Keith. So did everyone, actually. Where was he? Where did the lion take him? What had he been through? At least Keith could rest easy with the knowledge that he wouldn't need to wait too long to get those answers. Once Shiro was well rested, everything can return to the way it was.

Keith paused for a moment…

"How is he?" a voice from behind spoke in a soft whisper. He turned to see the princess, already in her nightgown, hair down and all, approaching him.

"Sound asleep."

"No nightmares?"

"Not from what I could tell."

Allura released a breath of relief, "Good."

The two looked at one another and then to the door. The air around them had shifted all of a sudden. As if something that had hung around for so long now was starting to either loosen or disappear all together.

"I'm just happy he's alive." Keith said, his voice partly cracking. Allura wrapped her arms around him in comfort. Keith held her tight, letting the tears fall where they may. "I really missed him."

"I know. Me too." Allura whispered into his ear. His breathing was calm and steady, a sign he was at peace right now. Keith cupped Allura's cheek, smiling as he leaned in to capture her lips with his.

"Thanks for helping me get through this." he said. Allura replied with another kiss of her own.

Shiro had slept all through the night and throughout most of the day. He must have been feeling better because at one point one of the mice complained that they heard snoring coming from inside his room. The little ones believed it was some kind of wild beast. Allura couldn't resist bursting out in laughter.

As content as everyone was to have Shiro back in the castle, there was still that massive elephant in the room. Even if nobody else said it out loud, they were ALL thinking it.

With Shiro back, would everything else revert back to the status quo? Him in the Black Lion, Lance back in Blue and Keith in Red? Would Allura have to step down as paladin? Did that mean Keith won't need to lead anyone anymore?

The idea wasn't even at the back of Keith's mind, no mater how much he tried to put it there. This was never meant to last anyway. Shiro was back, so that meant he would be the leader again. Keith won't have that huge responsibility on his shoulders anymore. He could go back to what he was best at.

But, if Keith took Red back, then Lance would have to take Blue, and that would leave Allura out of the paladin team again. Never had Keith seen Allura so happy. So wild and free than when she was piloting the Blue Lion. She was a natural for sure, eager to participate and an incredibly fast learner to boot. Heck, Lance had formed such a strong bond with Red that not even Keith saw coming at first. Turns out the hot-tempered lion matched pretty well with the equally impulsive Lance.

Keith even, admittedly, had finally gotten used to the Black Lion. He would mis her. Keith quickly shook his head at the thought.

No! This was what needed to be done. Shiro was the true leader, Keith was just the stand in. He should be happy. But then, why did he also feel this bubbling feeling of disappointment?

Who was he kidding? Of course he knew the reason. He would miss being co-leaders with Allura. He would miss having her with them on the battle field. He would miss those fun late night hang outs with the paladins. He would even miss having Lance as his wingman.

Things would go back to the way they were before, and Keith, in all honesty, was not too pleased about that. He hated admitting it to himself within his mind. It made him sound selfish.

Thankfully, he wouldn't have to dwell on it too much for the team had another Galra military base to take down from the inside. Slicing a few Galra sentries was a great way to let off some steam. He would apologize to Lance later for taking a few of his targets.

Allura took down five to six all on her own with her whip, but spun around when Lance cried out to look behind her. Another sentry was about to shoot, and Lance as well, but again, he was bested when Keith punctured its chest with his sword.

"How many did you get?" Allura asked.

"About eight. You?"

"Seven." Allura replied, only to then shove Keith aside and unleash her whip at another incoming sentry. She wrapped her whip around its head and then turned it around, knocking down other sentries at once, then slicing them in one go.

"Make that twelve." The princess said with a smirk, while her boyfriend stared in awe.

Lance scoffed, but couldn't help smirking. "That lucky son of a quiznack." he muttered.

Pidge demonstrated her excellent hacking skills to shut down the base, and all the sentries as a result. Once that was done, the team returned back to the Castle, where Coran had informed them that Shiro was awake.

The kind-hearted Altean served Shiro some food in bed, and this time he was able to savor the taste rather than gulf it all down. For once, Coran's cooking wasn't all that bad. Or maybe Shiro was just that hungry. Either way, he was beginning to feel like his old self again.

Keith walked into the room, Coran excused himself and took the now empty tray and glass of water, allowing the two paladins to speak in private. Shiro definitely smelled a lot better than he did before. Everyone politely said nothing about it, but Shiro was not blind.

"You're looking better." Keith said.

"I smell better too." Shiro joked, earning a chuckle from Keith. Yep, he was definitely returning to his old self again.

"I know you're still recuperating, but I was hoping if you could answer some questions."

"I will. But first, I want to ask a few myself." Shiro sat upright, one leg bent with his elbow resting on it, removing some of his long hair from his face. "How come you and Lance haven't killed each other yet?"

Keith couldn't help but laugh. Classic Shiro humor. "Believe or not, he's actually a little less irritating than he used to be."

"I'm happy to hear you're getting along. What about the others?"

"Hunk is still Hunk. Making the beast meals I've ever had in my life. Though, I am the guy who I spent a year in a shack in the desert living off of canned food and microwave pasta, so that's not saying much."

Now it was Shiro's turn to laugh. "What about Pidge? Any luck on finding her family?"

"She's making progress."

"And Allura?"

"She's fine."

"I know she is, but how's she been doing?"

Keith's face became red at Shiro's joke. "Oh, come on, man! Seriously?" The older man lightheartedly rose his hands up in surrender. "She's been doing alright. Actually, she's…" Keith paused before continuing. "She's a paladin now."

Shiro's eyes widened. "She's… what?"

"After you disappeared, we each tried to appeal to the Black Lion. I was the only one it would respond to. Then, Red called out to Lance and allowed him to pilot, while the Blue Lion moved to Allura."

Shiro blinked, feeling a bit lightheaded. "Did you say… that Lance… is piloting Red now?"

"Yeah, took me by surprise too. Also, there's this Galra prince named Lotor. Zarkon's son. He's taken over the Empire. We've been doing all we can to track him down, but so such luck yet."

If he had a glass of water, Shiro would be doing a spit-take right about now. His migraine was returning. The lightheartedness of being reunited with his best friend had diminished. Reality came crashing down. The war, the Galra, it hadn't left while he was done and it certainly won't leave anytime soon. Time to get back to business.

"Wow. That's a lot to process. Still, that's pretty impressive. I always knew Lance had it in him, and Allura. A paladin. Somehow, that makes perfect sense."

"You should see her. She flies the lion like a pro. I tell you, if she had been at the Garrison with us, she would have been the top pilot instead of me."

Shiro smiled in amusement. One would have to be deff to not hear the adoration in Keith's voice as he spoke of his girlfriend.

"I'll bet. And you. You've really stepped up, Keith. I'm proud of you."

"Thanks." Keith replied, though he didn't sound all too proud of himself as Shiro did. "Where were you?" asked, finally getting back to the matter at hand. "What happened after we fought Zarkon?"

Shiro eased his nerves to try and recall how he got from inside the lion's cockpit to being somewhere else entirely in the blink of an eye.

"I don't know. The last thing I remember was Zarkon trying to overtake the Black Lion. It told me to use my bayard. Then… just nothing. I woke up and I was back on a Galra ship."

Keith's heart sunk upon hearing his friend's voice crack. He rarely ever heard Shiro speak like this. So frightened, almost frail. How he wished he could remove this weight off of his friend's shoulders, but he couldn't.

"Well you just unlocked the lion's ability to teleport. Could it have teleported you? Maybe it was trying to save you."

It made sense. The Black Lion was far more mysterious than the other lions. It was much harder to understand due to its less than straightforward approach. One thing was for certain, the lion cared for its paladins. He sensed it whenever he was piloting her. Maybe she still felt that same affection for Zarkon due to their history. It was the mother of the four cubs, so she must have had a reason for doing this.

It still astonished Keith how he at the same time didn't fully understand the Black Lion, yet understood her all the same.

"By teleporting me into the hands of the Galra?" Shiro said. Keith reevaluated his original thesis. Why did the Black Lion teleport Shiro to a Galra ship? That didn't make much sense.

All of a sudden, that mysterious and unidentified sensation in the air from that alternate reality came to mind. Why did it? What did that have to do with the conversation? More importantly, why did the Black Lion send Shiro to a Galra ship? Did Zarkon do something?

"Maybe… maybe Zarkon forced it to. I mean, we was trying to control the lion till the very last moment, right?" Keith said. It just wouldn't make sense for the Black Lion to just send Shiro to the Galra specifically. If the Black Lion wanted Shiro gone for good, then why did it tell Keith where to find him? It wasn't the Black Lion's fault, that much Keith was confident about.

"Yeah… maybe."

A brief awkward silence filled the room. Once Keith left this room, nothing would be as it was several days ago. He wished he wouldn't have to confront what was to come, but he couldn't fight it. Nor should he attempt to.

"Well… if you're feeling up to it, the rest of the team will be thrilled to see you up and around again. They need you, you know."

There was a moment where Keith would have been thrilled to have this tittle be given to someone more worthy, but now… he didn't know how to make himself feel that way again.

"I'll try." Shiro replied. He still sounded tired, but there was a sense of eagerness in his voice. As tired as he was, getting back in action was better than staying in bed all day.

"Okay. We'll be on the bridge." Keith turned around, the doors opening, but stopped when Shiro called out his name.

"Hey, Keith."

"Yeah?"

"How many times are you going to save me before this is over?"

Keith smiled, "As many times as it takes." with that, he exited the door and memories of his Garrison days filled his mind.

It felt so long ago. That one day where Keith got into a fight with some punks who ridiculed him for being such a show off, and that he didn't deserve to be at the Garrison just because he knew Shiro. It wasn't the first time he had to bail Keith out of trouble, and it certainly wasn't going to be the last.

_"Shiro." a slightly younger, more bitter version of Keith stopped the older pilot halfway in the hall. "How many times are you going to have to save me before this is over?" he asked him. Practically daring him to answer. There was no way a successful man like him would ever waste him time with some street-urchin like Keith. Nobody else wanted anything to do with him, so why would he?_

_That perception changed when the older paladin ruffled his hair and smiled. "As many times as it takes.”_

It was at that moment, Keith dared to believe that someone might actually be there for him, even when he messed up. It was this reason why Shiro deserved to be the leader. He may have saved Shiro's life now, but he had saved Keith numerous times before.

(~)

Back in the control room, Allura's foot kept tapping. The room was so dead silent, the tapping literally bounced off of the walls.

"I'm gonna take a shot in the dark and say something's bothering you." Lance said, getting the princess's attention. Noticing Hunk and Pidge were also looking at her, Allura sighed in defeat. She should have known she wasn't being very subtle.

"Apologize, everyone. I'm just a little anxious about Lotor."

"You sure that's the reason?" Pidge asked, arching an eyebrow, taking time away from her work on the holographic computer to pay attention to her friend.

Allura didn't know if she should inform them about what was worrying her. Lance, somehow managed to pick up on her dilemma.

"Is this about the Blue Lion?"

"N-No!" Allura tried to protest, but her stutter was a dead giveaway. While Keith was one of the few people who could read the Altean princess without much effort, Lance came in close second. The empathic paladin was often pretty good at picking up whenever his friends were distress. If his conversation with Pidge no more than a while ago was any indication.

Pidge and Hunk all stared at Allura, but rather than receiving looks of disapproval, as she had feared, they all carried compassion and understanding in their eyes. A little bit of her worries had lifted. If only a little bit.

"Maybe. Just a little bit."

"Little bit of what?"

The paladins all gasped in alarm when Keith suddenly appeared behind them. Keith flinched at their reaction, blinking in surprise. "What's wrong?

"Nothing." Allura replied quickly, hoping Keith wouldn't question any further. "Everything's fine. How was Shiro?"

"Better than before." Keith replied as he approached Allura. "I told him about what happened while he was away."

Allura felt her heart drop, and Lance, Pidge and Hunk decided to revert back to whatever it was they were doing previously. Keith was so happy to have Shiro back, none of them wanted things awkward. Anymore than they already were.

"Oh. And, what did he say?" Allura asked. She wasn't sure why she was worried. Shiro has been shown to be a very open minded individual, no doubt he would be proud to hear Allura was a paladin now.

"He said you being a paladin made perfect sense." Keith said, placing his hand on Allura's shoulder. The princess's eyes shimmered with joy. "He was very proud."

Allura took in a deep breath of relief. Maybe she wouldn't have to give up the lion after all. But, in the end, it wasn't her decision. It was the lion's. Whichever it decided, she would have to accept it with humility. No matter how much it hurt. Still, hearing those words from Shiro was reassuring enough to know that if she could remain a paladin, she would have his upmost support.

Lance couldn't resist smiling when Allura smiled at Keith's words. It was exactly what she needed to hear right now. It wasn't a direct answer, but it was reassuring she had Shiro's support on wether or not she would remain as paladin. After all, the princess loved being a pilot. It was a perfect fit, her and Blue. As much as Lance missed his old mechanical feline, Red had done a solid job in filling the void.

He original feared Red wool be difficult to handle, and while the breaks had been a struggle at first, he could sense the lion warm up to him and vice versa. Much like Keith, once one got to know the temperamental lion, underneath its intimidating nature lied a big old pussy cat. Which, not only fit Keith, but Lance as well. Underneath that cocky loverly was a soft-hearted solider, loyal to his friends.

The more he thought about Red, the more he started to realize he would miss him if he ever had to step down. Switching lions was hard enough, but doing it all over again would be almost unbearable at this point. Besides, looking at the way both Allura and Keith have progressed, and how in sync they were when on the battle field together, it was the perfect fit.

Lance's smile slowly turned upside-down, but he turned his eyes away from the couple, not wanting anyone else to notice his distress. As much as he loved being a pilot, a hero of the universe… there was no denying that he loved his friends a billion times more.

The doors opened and Shiro stepped out. Now this was the Black Paladin they remembered. Tall, confident, brave and noble. His skin complexion was healthy again, his cloths fresher. His face was shaved and his hair completely cut. "Great job out there, everyone. You've really turned the tide in this war. I'm glad you never lost sight of the mission while I was gone."

"You're looking better." said Lance, "How are you feeling?"

"Good. Just trying to get over this weird headache." Shiro rubbed the back of his head. Ever since he woke up he had felt some lingering side effects of a migraine. It stung hard at first but now it was like here and there. Strange.

"Also, why was there a picture of… I don't know a dragon, horse thing covered in cookie dough on the kitchen wall?"

"Oh, that was Ember." Hunk said, "Yeah, Keith and Allura sort of adopted her while you were gone."

Shiro's eyes snapped open and he looked at the two. "Wait what?"

Keith chuckled awkwardly. He hadn't told Shiro about the little longma he had grown close to. "We, uh, kind of rescued her from a fire and we took her in for a little while."

"We eventually returned her to her own kind." Allura said. Shiro caught wind of the sadness in her tone.

"Lance went crazy taking pictures of her." Pidge said with chuckle.

"Look who's talking!" Lance said back, though he couldn't suppress the crocked smile that formed, earning a genuine laugh from Pidge. Shiro had never seen them so comfortable around each other before. Not only that, but turns out Keith and Allura had been temporary parents to a young little aline creature?

"Is there anything else you haven't told me? Any other adopted kids I should know about?"

The tension that had arrived with Keith and Allura disappeared as everyone laughed. "No, just the one." Allura said.

"Guys! I think I have something here!" Pidge cried out, gathering everyone around her and the computer. Looking up the Galra intel she had download from the base they had recently taken down, Pidge found some insight on Lotor. Not where he was, exactly, but where his command ship was last seen. Some place called the Vacar quadrant. 

It wasn't much, but it was the first concrete lead they had that could lead them to Lotor. Only problem was the quadrant was massive, so tracking the ship would be difficult. Thankfully, the tech geniuses Hunk and Pidge had figured out a way… even if nobody else could really understand what they were saying, especially Lance, but no doubt if there was anyone who could figure out who to locate that Galra Prince, it was these two.

"Let's set a course for the Vacar quadrant while they get started on that detector." Shiro said. "We need to work fast. Who knows what Lotor has planed for that comet."

Fort the first time in weeks, Keith felt rather… out of place. Listening to Shiro take lead so naturally was a hard reminder of just how uncertain Keith was when he first began as a leader. Even now, he still didn't posses the same amount of leadership confidence Shiro had. He kept insisting Keith would get there eventually, but just how long would "eventually" take, exactly.

And with Shiro back, would Keith even need to prepare for that uncertain moment in the future? How was it possible that having Shiro, his best friend and mentor, back again would make him feel so… small?

(~)

Keith retreated to his room, unsure on what to do next. Shiro was with Coran, while Allura too chose to retreat to her room. Nobody else spoke after they left the deck. Keith heard a knock at his door, and invited whoever it was inside.

He was hoping it would be Allura. Maybe talking with her would ease any worries he had. Worries he didn't think he should even be having. But, surprise, surprise, it was Lance. Judging by the look on his face, the former Blue Paladin didn't come her for a friendly conversation. He looked like he had just witnessed a pet die.

"Hey, man. I wanted to talk to you since… well, I've been worrying about something."

Keith folded his arms, more so because he didn't know how to react to this. It's not because they had never had genuine conversations with each other. Keith gave Lance some, legitimately solid romantic advice after he struck out with Nyma. And Lance generously offered Keith advice when he was struggling on how to tell Allura about his suspicious of his possible Galra blood. But, this was the first time Lance was coming directly to Keith himself for advice.

"Must be really bothering you if you're coming to talk to me." Keith said in an almost amused tone. A good natured amused, not an 'you've-got-to-be-pulling-my-leg' amused.

"Well, I mean you're the leader now, right?"

Keith's face dropped. "I guess." he said. Was he, though? If Shiro was back, does he even qualify as leader now?

"I've been doing some math." Lance began. Just hearing the word "math" come out of his mouth, Keith knew the guy was being dead serious about this. "With Shiro back that makes six paladins." Lance explained, pulling out fix fingers to make his point, then folding his right hand pinkie finger, so now he was only holding five. "But there are only five lions, and if I'm right, that's one paladin too many."

"Solid math." Keith said. It was no algebra, but he could see where Lance was going with this.

"Look, when Shiro takes over the Black Lion you're going to want your Red Lion back. Which means I'll have to take Blue from Allura." Lance folded his arms and looked to the ground, looking ashamed at the thought before looking back at Keith. "She's progressed a lot faster than any of us have. She might even be able to unlock powers we don't even know of."

"You're right."

"And…" Lance hung his head again. "If I do get a lion, then she won't be on the team anymore and… you guys won't be together."

Keith's eyes widened. So, this wasn't just Lance being worried about not having a lion. He was worried about possibly needing to take Blue from Allura, thus leaving her out of the team. This wasn't about him at all.

"What are you talking about? Allura and I will always be together." Keith said, taking notice of how mushy that sounded coming out of his mouth, but Lance and everyone else was used to it at this point.

"I know. What I mean is, ever since you became leader and she became a paladin, you guys have been so happy together. It was like, like a perfect fit. I know you didn't want to be leader at first, but you're not so bad at it. And believe me, I would _never_ admit that so easily."

"So, maybe the best thing I can do for the team is to step aside."

"What?" Keith was literally at a loss for words. Lance wanted to step down so Keith and Allura could still be paladins together? As selfless, and generous and just… downright saintly that was of Lance, did he really think either Keith or Allura would ever consider kicking him off the team? As much as they would have loved to stay as co-paladins, it wouldn't be at the expense of one of their own best friends. If Allura were here, she'd tell Lance the exact same thing.

"Lance, I appreciate you thinking about me and Allura's happiness. That really means a lot. But you don't have to step down because of us. We've managed things before when Allura wasn't a paladin, we can do it again. Believe me, she wouldn't want you to give up your lion for her."

"I know. But my decision isn't only because of you guys."

"Then what is?"

"Come on, man. Let's face facts. There's a reason why you were the top pilot at the Garrison and I was behind you. You've always had the talent. Allura's incredibly talented too, she's a warrior princess who can pilot the lion and the castle. Hunk's the genius mechanic, Shiro's got more experience than any of us, and Pidge. That girl's got a brain that can store more memory than any computer I've ever owned. She can reprogram an alien robot and built a cloaking device from scratch."

Keith was so close to grinning. Don't think he didn't detect that hint of admiration in Lance's tone.

"And what am I? I'm just some sharpshooter. Hooray, I shoot things." he said sarcastically while waving around his finger unenthusiastically.

Keith felt his chest ache a bit. Lance had always been competitive, and envious of Keith because of either his piloting skills, Shiro choosing him as leader, and for a while, envious of the fact that he had found love while Lance hadn't. He had always theorized Lance had some insecurities, but only now did he realize they ran so much deeper than he thought. He really felt bad for Lance. The boy didn't know just how important he was to the team.

Lance wasn't just the sharpshooter, her was also a loyal friend. Emotional support for his teammates, a guy who has proven time and time again to be a capable fighter and team player. As frustrating as Lance was when they first started out, Keith knew that if he would trust anyone else with his life, it would be Lance.

How could Keith had not seen it himself? Was he really so caught up in his own worries as a leader that he never took the time to really understand how Lance was feeling? He often criticized Lance for his behavior, but maybe Keith wasn't any better.

"Besides, this isn't a participation game. This is war, and you want your best soldiers on the front lines."

"You are the best soldier." Keith said, catching Lance off guard. Rather than speak in a compassionate tone, Keith's voice was firm, calm and none intimidating. "Lance, you've proven time and time again just how dedicated you are to Voltron. When I messed up and lost everyone on that gas planet, you stood by me until we found the others. You saved those mermaids from the Baku and freed Hunk from its mind control. You comforted Pidge when she was feeling alone."

Lance's eyes widened at that last bit.

"Allura saw you." Keith said, unable to hid his smirk. "She told me not to tell you, but there it is."

Lance wanted to say something, but found he couldn't think of anything to say in responce.

"You may not be a leader, or a mechanic, or a tech genius, but when it comes right down to it, you're no doubt one of the most selfless, brave and trustworthy members on this team. You may not see it as something important, but trust me, it is." Keith stepped forward and placed a hand on Lance's shoulder. "Look, stop worrying over who flies what and just focus on the mission. Things will work themselves out. Trust me."

Lance's mouth was partly open, as if he was trying to make words come out. Any words. When he realized he didn't have any to think of, he closed his mouth, which began to quiver. His eyes became teary and, much to Keith's surprise, Lance hugged him.

Keith really wasn't expecting this kind of reaction, but he returned the hug. This was the first time Lance had ever hugged Keith, or cried in front of him without trying to hide it. Keith had no idea his words would mean to much to Lance. Years ago, he probably would never have been able to give anyone this kind of advice. Let alone know just how or what to say. He only spoke the truth, and from the looks of it, it was really all Lance needed.

Guess the truth doesn't always hurt after all.

"Thanks, bro." Lance said once they ended the hug, and he whipped his tears with his sleeve. "You… you have no idea how much that means to me."

Keith suddenly felt something sting and tingle his eyes. Oh, no. Now he was about to cry too. Seeing Lance cry like a happy child was really tugging on Keith's heartstrings. He sucked on the inside of his mouth and tried to avert his eyes.

"Yeah, no problem, man." Keith said, trying to fight that tear threatening to escape his right eye.

"But, uh… let's not tell anyone about this, okay?"

"Which one? The hugging or the crying?"

"Both."

"Deal."

Lance nodded his head in thanks, patted Keith on the back and prepared to leave. Both boys screamed when they saw Allura standing at the foot of the door. The princess was smiling with her arms crossed.

"Evening, gentlemen." she said. "Was I interrupting anything."

"You saw nothing, you can prove nothing!" Lance said as he walked right by her, still wiping the tears from his eyes.

Allura giggled and entered Keith's room. She saw her boyfriend wiping his eyes, the tears already reverting back. "So… how much of that did--"

"All of it." Allura replied quickly, making Keith blush. The princess only hugged him sweetly. "Don't be embarrassed. That was very sweet of you."

"I have _no_ idea how I did that." Keith confessed, rubbing his eyelids.

"You told Lance the truth. I always said honesty was one of your most admirable qualities."

Keith sighed and sat on his bed, with Allura taking a spot beside him, placing a hand on his shoulder. "He does make a good point, though. There's six paladins now, and only five lions."

"Keith, I understand the stakes of our mission. If I must step down as paladin, then I will do so."

"But--"

"I know. I love piloting with you too. But, at the end of the day, it's not our decision. It's the lions'."

"And, what if the lions decide one of us needs to step down?" Keith asked, already horrified of the possible answer.

"I don't know." Allura said. Keith wouldn't blame her for not having a direct answer. None of them did.

The uncertainly made Keith want to groan loudly and he collapsed onto the bed. His legs dangling from the side. Allura laid down beside him, her head fitting perfectly in the crock of his neck, her arm wrapped around his waist, while Keith wrapped his arms around hers, while gently rubbing the arm draped over him.

"You said you wouldn't tell Lance I saw him and Pidge talking that night." Allura said bitterly, ruining the calming moment.

"I'm sorry! I was trying to boost his confidence."

Allura growled in frustration before laughing. Keith laughed along. "But you have to admit, they are pretty adorable."

"Don't be thinking what I think you're thinking."

"What?"

"You know."

"I have no idea what you're talking about."

"Don't play dumb with me, you--" to shut him up, Allura captured his lips with her own. Works every time.

(~)

Hunk and Pidge managed to locate Lotor's ship, with the comet inside. Allura quickly piloted the ship towards the direction Pidge and Hunk had picked up until they reached to where the ship was supposedly located. It was some kind of base located on a strange rock-like planet. The comet had to be in there, only the ship that was arriving wasn't Lotor's ship. It appeared to be one of the Galra's battle ships. After fighting them for so long, the ships all looked the same, but Lotor's was always distinguished in comparison. Never the less, the most important thing to do was to get that comet. No matter what.

Keith rose from his Black Paladin chair and was already sharing his plan with the team. Only, Shiro had the exact same idea and both spoke over the other. "Oh. I'm sorry." Keith said, feeling just a little bit awkward. It really dawned on him just how he had gotten used to giving orders to everyone.

"We need to get that comet." Shiro continued. "They must be transporting it into that base. It will be vulnerable during the transfer. That's the best time to strike."

Keith didn't say a word. Though his plan wasn't as different from what Keith had in mind (since getting the comet during the transfer was the best opening they had), he wasn't sure why he kept quiet after Shiro addressed his full plan. Although, Keith was also planning that once they located the comet, to also take out Lotor if he was still there. Knock down two birds with one stone. But, there was no knowing for sure if he was there or not. Either way, getting the comet was priority one. If they encountered Lotor, well, Keith swore he wouldn't hold back.

That prince was done spreading his father's plague any further.

But, it would seem that that Galra ship wasn't there to retrieve the comet in a normal transfer… it was outright attacking the base! Why would Galra attack other Galra for a comet? Was there some kind of competition between them to see who would get the comet first? But, Lotor, the Empire's Prince, had the comet. Why would they steal from their own prince? This didn't make any sense.

"Who the heck are these guys?!" Lance asked.

"I don't think they're moving the comet to that base." Shiro said. "We need more information."

And in order to get it, they would need to go in. Even Keith knew that much. He looked over his shoulder, his eyes first landing on Allura, who looked concerned, and then Lance, who looked as if he was just about ready to hand in the towel if needed.

Keith took in a deep breath. He made his choice, and he didn't have a shred of doubt in his mind. Besides, the mission was more important than his own desires. Lance was right about one thing; they would need their best soldiers. And Keith knew just who those soldiers were.

"You're right." Keith placed a hand on Shiro's shoulder. "You take the Black Lion. I'll stay with Coran in the castle and provide support."

"Keith, are you sure?"

Silence, then came his answer. "I'm sure."

Allura stepped down from where she stood in between the pillars, and ran towards Keith, stopping only a few feet in front of him. Keith smiled at her in reassurance, cupping her face with both hands. "I'll be fine. You guys go in there and get that comet. I've got your back."

The princess became teary eyes and hugged her boyfriend. She was heartbroken that she would be piloting the lion without Keith by her side, but at the same time she couldn't help but feel proud at his selflessness. He believed in both Allura's natural talent to become a paladin, and he believed in Lance's value to the team. No doubt, if her father had witnessed this, he would be immensely proud.

"I'll be thinking of you." Allura whispered into his ear.

"Ditto." Keith whispered back, then kissed her softly on the lips.

As he watched, Lance could feel the tears forming again. Keith, the guy he had envied for so long, was stepping aside for both Allura, and himself to remain in Voltron. He really did care more about the team itself than his own ambition. Perhaps if Lance hadn't allowed his insecurities blind him from the start, he and Keith would have been friends long ago.

Better late than never.

(~)

Once in their armor, the paladins headed to their respected lion hangars. Lance stopped Allura midway.

"Hey, Allura!"

"Yes, Lance?"

"I just wanted to, well, I want to apologize, again, for giving Keith such a hard time before, and for annoying you before with my flirting."

Allura smiled kindly. "Oh, Lance. You weren't _that_ annoying."

"Ha, ha." Lance laughed sarcastically. "But, seriously. After everything, I just want you to know… you're like a sister to me. You're family. And I want you to know, no matter what, I've got your back. Yours and Keith's."

Allura placed her hand over her heart, feeling it warm up at his words. "Thank you, Lance. That really means a lot. And you can guarantee I will have your back as well. We both will." the princess and new red paladin hugged. "And, if you ever require some advice, like how to speak to a girl, don't hesitate to ask."

Lance laughed. "Allura, that's sweet, but it won't be necessary. I'm a natural."

"Naturally dumb." a third voice, Pidge, spoke as she walked past the two. Lance's face turned red with anger, almost matching his lion.

"That's not funny anymore!" Lance shouted back as he followed her, leaving Allura to roll her eyes.

"Yep." she muttered to herself. "Not necessary at all."

(~)

Keith watched as the four lions flew out of the castle, radiating in their respected colors. Like a rainbow through space. Only, Shiro wasn't with them. Keith and Coran waited for a few more minutes but nothing. Even the paladins were getting concerned. Shiro is usually one of the first to leave the castle on his lion, what was taking him?

Keith quickly contacted Shiro through the intercom. "Shiro, what's going on? Everyone's waiting for you." for a moment, there was nothing but silence. "Shiro?"

"Keith… I'm going to need you to lead this mission."

"W-What is it? What's wrong?"

"The Black Lion… it's not responding to me. It looks like you're it's true paladin."

Keith stood frozen in place, unsure on exactly what he was experiencing. Fear? Surprise? Acceptance? Relief upon returning to a familiar routine? Whatever it was, Keith felt no hesitation to go down there, sit on that Black Paladin's chair and pilot the lion into space.

However, there was one feeling he did recognize. And that was guilt. The guilt of actually being somewhat happy, or comfortable with being in the Black Lion when Shiro was right there. It was as if he was taking something from him. Something that had been stripped from him by an unknown reason. How could Keith feel so comfortable with being in the Black Lion again, after he had desperately begged it to not choose him?

Whatever the reason, Keith would have to tuck that in the back of his mind. Right now, the team needed a leader, and as it would seem… right now, that was him.

"I'm coming down."

(~)

Just as expected, being welcomed into the Black Lion was like being welcomed by a family member after returning home. Even the rest of the team was happy to have Keith tag along once again.

"Alright, Keith! Welcome back!" Lance cheered. He never imagined he would be so happy to have Keith as their leader. After that heart to heart earlier, there was no doubt that the hot-tempered orphaned Galra hybrid really did have the makings of a leader in him.

Allura was especially happy to have him back. "I know it's only been a few tics, but I was already missing you."

Keith blushed. "Same here, babe."

The lions landed onto the planet and traveled on their speeders to the base. They went in formation, with Keith in the lead. From the castle, Shiro communicated with the team, giving them orders. It was rather odd, having Shiro continue to lead them even when he wasn't there. At least it made Keith feel a little better. Shiro was still the leader, even if he wasn't piloting Black right now. Maybe this could work out after all. Keith still piloting Black while Shiro continues to lead whenever Keith felt he wouldn't be able to.

Not so bad, right?

"The most important thing is to get eyes on that comet. Second is figuring out who we're dealing with." Shiro said. Though, something sounded just a little bit off. For a moment, Allura sensed what appeared to be an air of subtle aggression in Shiro's voice. Strange, he never sounded like that before. Then again, the man had been through a lot, and he just now returned only to find out about Lotor and everything else. He was probably still taking it all in. She was really in no place to judge.

The team arrived at the ship, but once inside, Keith informed Shiro that there was no one inside. "We're moving forward with the search." Keith said, leading the others to where the comet was located. The paladins kept their guard up, and bayards at the ready while Hunk scanned the inside of the ship to find the comet. The object was reminiscent of the device he had used to locate Voltron using the Fraunhofer line back on earth. They followed him down a hall, where his device was going haywire.

From the other side of the ship, the team heard the commotion of a fight nearby. They kept their shields up, with Lance continuously turning from left to right, ready to shoot anything Galra that came their way. After a while, the noise died down.

"It sounds like the fight next door is over. Let's hurry." Keith led the others to follow Hunk, who in turn folioed the signature. They were getting close, if the crazy beeping sound was any indication. Finally, they arrived at a room inside the base, but there was no sign of a comet.

"That's weird." Hunk said. "The comet should be in here. Like, right _here_."

But there was no comet to be seen, only an elaborate looking ship, similar to those owned by Prince Lotor. "Where's the comet?" Lance asked. "Is it in that ship?"

Hunk took a few steps closer, only for his device to go haywire. "No. I think the ship is the comet!"

"No! It can't be!" Allura said in shock. "He's already made a ship from the comet's ore?"

"Oh, this is bad!" Lance said, eyes wide in terror.

"More like horrible." Pidge said. It was then, Shiro contacted them via Pidge's wrist communicator, appearing on the holographic screen.

"Guys, there's a piece of the Teleduv inside the Galra base."

"The same one we used to wormhole Zarkon's ship?" Lance asked. As if finding the comet turned ship wasn't bad enough.

Allura shook her head. "But they would never be able to operate it without an Altean--" the princess then gasped. Her head started throbbing and her body trembled at the memory of her fight with the witch Haggar. When she removed her hood, and the horrifying secret hidden underneath which shocked Allura's world to its very core.

"Allura, what is it?" Keith asked, taking Allura by the shoulders. She looked as if she were about to faint. The memory of that intense energy was still so fresh it felt as if it only happened yesterday.

"Zarkon's witch! She had Altean markings!"

Hunk's knees began to buckle. "Okay, so the Galra now have a comet-ship, a piece of a Teladuv, and an Altean witch on their side? Is anyone else freaking out right now?"

Lance rose his hand. "Yeah, mark me down for one freakout."

"Lotor must be nearby." Keith concluded. There was no question about it, this ship was of the same design as the ones owned by Lotor. He was the last person to come into possession of the comet. This was all his doing, Keith could feel it burning in his bones. "We have to find him and take him out for good."

"Team, you can not let Lotor get that ship!" Shiro said. Allura noticed that slight hint of aggression again, but immediately brushed it back. "You need to get back to your lions. You need Voltron!"

"Why only take out one ship when we can stop all of this by taking out Lotor himself?" Keith suggested. "We can't let him keep outsmarting us."

If Lotor was there, then who's to say they couldn't take the comet and stop him? They get the comet out first, without it Lotor will have one less advantage, and if he's right there, then that would be one less Galra leader to worry about. There was no guarantee it would go flawlessly, nor that they would manage to do both at once, but it was worth the shot. Why loose this chance? Why risk having another Galra leader out and about?

"That's exactly why we can't risk letting Lotor have that ship! This is too important!" Shiro said, his voice sounding higher than it normally did when giving orders. Angrier, even. Even Keith noticed this small change.

"I know that, but--"

"_Keith, we don't have time to argue!_" Shiro snapped back, actually making Keith flinch a bit. That never happened before. Shiro never got angry at Keith like this. He knew getting the comet was important, but so was taking down Lotor. Or, was it that Keith just wasn't seeing the bigger picture? Was he really so dead set on getting back at Lotor for everything he had done to the team--to Allura-- that he dared to question Shiro, especially after everything he had been through?

Was Keith really being impulsive and reckless all over again? Letting his anger towards that spoiled brat get the better of him?

Allura cut him from his thoughts when she placed her hand on his shoulder. "Keith, I want to stop Lotor just as badly as you, but Shiro has a point."

Keith couldn't argue with those facts. As much as his gut was telling him to take down Lotor for good, maybe it wasn't the best course of action. Besides, he knew too well what happened the last time he tried to take matters into his own hands. He had almost lost his team. Still, he couldn't shake this agonizing feeling that he needed to do something about Lotor. Just knowing of his existence was enough to make Keith loose sleep. Not even Zarkon made him feel this paranoid.

"Alright. You guys get the ship out of here while I go find Lotor."

"Keith, you need to stick together." Shiro said. His voice was more leveled, but still, Keith had already been humiliated. The rest of the paladins agreed with their older leader, and Keith, as much as it angered him, complied as well.

He didn't feel like a leader right now. If anything, he felt like a little kid being schooled by his teacher. If he was being this foolish now, what else had he been foolish about while Shiro was gone? Was he really getting the hang of this leader business, or was he simply fooling himself?

The paladins prepared to return to their lions. Allura caught up with Keith, seeing how angry and distraught he looked. Shiro had never snapped at Keith like that before. She knew how much her beloved admired the older paladin, so having him yell at him must have been a serious blow for him. She wanted to offer him words of encouragement, but that would have to wait.

The doors opened and in entered a group of alien woman. The paladins didn't know who they were, but from the looks of it, they appeared to be some sub-species of Galra. The largest one, a bulky female looked more Galra, but with more violets and an aquamarine complexion and no yellows in her eyes. Another was slim with red skin, decorated with yellow, purple and greens with a long tail-like item sticking out from her head, making it appear like some kind of ponytail, or the upper fin of a fish. Even her coloring made the paladins of earth think of exotic looking salt water fish.

The third had no eyes, had more reptilian features, as well as a tail, a hood over her head and a sickly black cat on her shoulder. The fourth looked the most normal and more humanoid out of all of them. If not for the blue skin, she would have easily passed for an Altean, but she lacked the markings, and like most Galra, she had yellow sclera and aquamarine eyes with darker blue hair styled into a pixie cut. Admittedly, she looked very beautiful, but the scowl on her face did not indicate a friendly persona.

The larger one leaped into the air, ready to crush Allura. The princess jumped out of the way, and the fight was on between the paladins and the Galra women. Keith charged at the one more humanoid looking one, who had been shooting at Lance, who blocked the blasts with his shield.

Keith wielded his Black Paladin sword, charging with the sword at the ready. She blocked it with her laser gun. The two fought for dominance, pushing against their respected weapons, only for Keith to notice something peculiar.

Her armor… those colors… that gun… they all looked strikingly familiar. He tried to envision her with a helmet over her face.

The images linked together, creating the full memory in Keith's mind. It was her! That same Galra soldier he had rescued at the Weblum, and who stole the scultrie from them. Only, he had once believed "she" was a "he" at the time, not that it made much of a difference. 

So, he was right about her before. She really was no different from the Galra who had been brainwashed into following Zarkon, and now Lotor. No matter, if she wasn't here to make friends, then neither was he. Besides, Keith would never be friends with someone who would take advantage of one's kindness the way she did.

Keith pushed his blade even harder, the two continued to fight for dominance. It almost looked as if she was holding back. The red skinned girl jumped in and knocked Keith backwards. She hurled something sharp at him, only for Lance to shoot it out of the way just in time.

"I got you, buddy!"

Keith smiled in gratitude. He knew letting Lance stay on the team was a wise choice on his part. At least he managed to make one right choice today.

The blue skinned girl went after Lance, while the red skinned girl fought Keith. She managed to knock him back and hold him down, ready to rip his arm clean off. She stared at him with a sadistic glee in her eyes.

"Kind of a shame, you are pretty cute." she chuckled while twisting his arm tighter, "If you cooperate, maybe Lotor will let you live."

In a flash--literally--Keith managed to manipulate his sword to switch from his right hand to his left, much to the girl's surprise. He swiped the sword, causing her to release him. He quickly knocked her down by kicking her legs. Once she was down, she pointed his sword at her neck.

"Not interested. Also, I'm spoken for."

The red skinned girl leaped up into the air, proceeding to fight with Keith, while Allura fought the larger one. She unleashed her whip at her gun. Despite her shorter stature in comparison to her opponent, Allura's Altean strength was an even match to her own. Even the Galra woman commented on it.

"It's been a long time since I've faced a worthy opponent. I'm going to enjoy crushing you." The Galra shot at Allura, causing her to step back, and she used the distraction to hurl Allura to the ground. She landed with a yell and a grunt. Keith hurried to her side one he had managed to push his opponent off of him again. The blue skinned girl hurled Lance in their direction and he landed on his stomach, looking defeated.

"We don't have time for this!" Keith exclaimed, "We need to get to the lions!"

Lance gave him a thumbs up while he was still on the floor. "Good idea." he said weakly. He suspected that lady may have crushed a few ribs during that fight. Allura grabbed Lance by the collar of his suit and dragged him off along with the others. Once the paladins were out of hearing range, the larger Galra woman readied to shoot.

"Zetherid, stop!" the blue skinned woman ordered.

"Come on! This is our chance to destroy them!"

"We have what we came for, stick to the plan."

The larger woman growled in frustration. She was so looking forward to crushing those paladins's skulls with her bare hands, but Axca was always such a lap dog when it came to Lotor's demands. Not to mention she was holding back during that fight with the red colored paladin with the black sword. Why she did was none of Zetherid's business, for even no matter how badly she wanted to finish them, Lotor was very clear on his demands.

(~)

"Okay, seriously, what is going on?" Lance said as they rose their speeders back to their lions. "Who were they?"

"I've met one of them before." Keith said. "In the weblum, she stole some of the scultrite."

"You mean that Galra soldier you helped?" Allura said, narrowing her eyes. "She's certainly not vey big on gratitude."

"Allura, you said they had an Altean?" Hunk said. "They must be trying to build a teladuv so they can make wormholes."

"If Lotor has turned the comet into a ship we have much bigger concerns."

"I thought Lotor took over for Zarkon." Pidge said, "Why is he attacking a Galra base?"

It seemed that no matter how hard they tried, Lotor seemed to supply them with more questions than answers. It didn't help that he was far more cryptic in comparison to his father. Keith knew they had to get the comet back first, but it was painfully clear that Lotor was a much bigger threat than they anticipated.

First, he gets a comet that can travel between realities. Then, they learn the Galra are forming a Teladuv, and with an Altean on their side, they could power it up to create wormholes. They had a weapon as strong as Voltron itself, and now they had Altean technology on their side.

"I'm not sure." Keith said, answering Pidge's question. "Which is why we have to stop him. Here and now."

The paladins hurried to their lions and formed Voltron, arriving just in time to witness the ship made from the comet's ore attacking the castle ship. The team fought the ship, forming the sword to try and destroy it, but the ship was too fast. It was faster than any ship they had ever dealt with. It moved with the quick and fluid speed of a hummingbird. A very big, metal hummingbird with laser guns.

At the same time, that ship that was attacking the Galra base was now stealing the piece of the Teladuv. Shiro witnessed the scene, and all of a sudden, the urge to protect the Teladuv overwhelmed him.

"Guys, the cargo ship is escaping with the Teladuv inside of it!" Shiro exclaimed.

"I thought taking down the ship made from the comet was the most important thing!" Keith snapped back, not caring how loud he sounded. Shior first said to take down the comet, and now he was telling him to just forget it and stop them from taking the Teladuv?

"We still can't let Lotor get away with the Teladuv!" Shiro said back, his voice still louder and angrier than normal.

"We also can't let him get away with the comet!" Allura stated, her grip tightening around her controls. They were caught between a rock and a hard place. Both objects were far too important to let slip into the Galra's hands. If they lost the comet, then they will have a Teladuv with an Altean to power it. But, if they take the comet then that still leaves them with the Teladuv. How were they supposed to chose now?

Just another one of Lotor's tricks, no doubt. The comet ship must have been a distraction for Voltron while the cargo ship took the Teladuv.

"Keith, the cargo ship is getting away!"

Keith knew he had to follow Shiro's doers, but this wasn't an easy decision. The cargo ship was leaving the planet, so Voltron readied to retrieve it, only for the comet ship to start firing its lasers at them. The beams were too strong, they were literally trapped. If they went after the ship they would be at the mercy of the attacks, and if they defended themselves, the ship would leave.

"The cargo ship is getting away!" Hunk screamed.

"Keith, what should we do?" Lance asked, already sounding desperate.

"You need to lower your shield, shoot the cargo ship and deal with the consequences." Shiro said, which even left Keith a bit surprised.

"We can beat this ship first and then get the cargo ship!" Keith replied. He never imagined he would actually argue with Shiro over which decision was best on a mission. This was new for both of them.

"There's no time! You need to make a decision, now!"

Keith growled in frustration. He had to think of something, but Shiro was right, they were running out of time.

"Hunk, get your bayard ready. On my cue, we're gonna lower the shield and shoot the cargo ship. Ready?"

"Ready!" everyone replied in unison. At Keith's command, the shield lowered and Hunk formed his shoulder cannon. But the ship saw its chance and fired its laser while Voltron had its back turned. The laser was coming right at them at rapid speed, with the power so strong it could….

Keith could almost feel the lion's roar echoing inside his head as he felt the heat of the laser coming in. Before he could inform anyone, he took action and moved Voltron out of the way of the laser, which in turn struck the cargo ship, destroying that one piece of the Teladuv for good.

Keith had managed to use the comet ship's own fire power to their advantage at the very last second. The other paladins were at a loss for words. Mainly because their hearts were pounding so fast they could barely speak. Keith was breathing heavily. It was a close call, and had he not forced Voltron out of the way, they would have been seriously toast.

The comet ship fired again, this time, they readied the shield and blocked the attacks and fired a mouth cannon, but the ship maneuvered it and fired at Voltron once more, this time striking it in the chest with immense power. The robot was still in power, but floated in space as the ship went off at full speed, with the cargo ship close behind.

Lance was the first paladin to finally speak. "So, Lotor was attacking the Galra base and trying to steal the Teladuv? None of this makes any sense."

"We can talk about this later! They're getting away!" Pidge exclaimed.

"We need to go after them." Keith said. This time, he wasn't speaking from the urge of a personal vendetta. He knew just how powerful that comet was, and just as Allura said, with it in Lotor's hands, the Galra will have a weapon as powerful as Voltron. If they managed to form one ship, imagine what would happen if they formed millions of others. They felt the powerful might of that laser. This weapon was dangerous. The Teladuv piece was destroyed, but that comet needed to be destroyed.

"No. Get back to the castle. Something strange is going on here, and we need to figure it out."

Keith suppressed the urge to groan in frustration at Shiro's orders. This whole time, rather than follow along with Shiro's leadership, Keith found himself at constant odds with him. Keith still didn't regard himself as a leader on the same level as Shiro, shoo why was he having such trouble listening to him now?

Why was he angry? Why wasn't he one hundred percent in agreement with Shiro's demands? They did as he said, they destroyed the Teladuv, without endangering the rest of the team in the process (who knows what would have happened if they had been struck down twice by that thing), but Lotor still had that comet.

They should have taken it down when they had the chance, but Lotor once again had thought of everything. He was a threat, a danger to everything they have fought for. A danger to everyone they knew and love.

But, Shiro was right about one thing. There was something strange going on. Maybe if they had more information they could figure something out. How, Keith wasn't sure. But for now, he was far too tired to think straight.

They all were.

(~)

Once they returned, Keith retreated to a small part of the deck, looking out the window. He couldn't stop thinking about the fight. Everything was just so messed up. Nothing of Lotor's plan was making any sense, they had no idea just what he had planned next, and now Keith couldn't even listen to Shiro's basic instructions.

Why hadn't the Black Lion allowed Shiro to pilot him again? They had bonded before. Shiro was the one who freed her from Zarkon's hold, why was she rejecting him? Why would the Black Lion continue to allow Keith to pilot her after what had just happened?

How could Keith lead this team if he was constantly questioning himself? Well, more so now that Shiro was back. The team shouldn't have such a self-cautious pilot leading them. He thought he had it under control. He was growing to almost believe he had what it took to be a leader. To look out for his teammates and for the universe. To give others a second chance, like what Alfor had done for Allura. What Shiro had done for Keith. What Allura did for the Balmarans. What both he and Allura did for Ember, and what Keith just did in letting Lance know that he was just as important to the team as everyone else.

Or perhaps… perhaps he was only getting caught up in his emotions. The positive aspects that came with being a leader. Today was a reminder of the hard parts. Making had decisions, and at times make them without being certain about the outcome.

Just like with Ulaz and Thace, Keith couldn't save everyone. Maybe he hadn't grown as much as he thought. He was still impulsive and hot-blooded. Not the qualities needed in a leader.

The doors opened and Shiro walked in. "Hey, I'm sorry I had to step in back there." he said. His vocal range was lower now, the same as it had always been. But it didn't help Keith to feel any better.

"I thought I had it under control."

"You need to learn to pick your battles. Sometimes you have to make hard choices."

Keith hung his head in regret. "I'm no good at this." he knew that much.

"Yes, you are." Shiro said, and Keith looked up to face him. "It was your quick thinking that prevented Lotor from getting away with the Teladuv. You're gonna get there."

Gonna get there, huh? And just when exactly would that moment be, Keith wondered. When someone he cared about lost his or her life? When he messed up so badly he becomes nothing more than a wounded, scarred shell of his former self? Or when it's too late and Lotor finally got what he wanted?

Keith had weeks, months to get the hang of it, and he still felt miles away from truly being a leader. Shiro and many others insisted he was one, but simply hearing it from others was different than believing it yourself.

For the first time since the mission, Shiro smiled. "The Black Lion has chosen you. I'm proud of you Keith."

He was finally starting to sound more like the old Shiro he knew. But his words of encouragement still did not convince him. For Keith, it was going to take a lot more than words to be certain he was the leader his team deserved. He needed to be sure of that himself. He owed it to his team.

(~)

Later that night, Keith stood in front of the Black Lion. As usual, the mechanical beast said nothing. He didn't turn around, but allowed the princess to intertwine her fingers with his own.

"I'm sorry we couldn't get that comet back." Keith apologized.

"I know you tried your best." Allura said, holding his arm with her free hand. "But getting the Teladuv was just as important as well." she smiled. "Besides, if you hadn't pushed us all out of the way of that laser, who knows how badly we would have ended up if we had been struck twice. You used Lotor's own weapon against himself."

"As impressive as that sounds, it doesn't change the fact that we still have no idea what Lotor's planning. Every time, he's always one step ahead of us." angrily, Keith stepped away from Allura, releasing her had. "I can't take this anymore!"

"Keith, believe me, we're all frustrated. I want to stop him just as much as you do, but--"

"But of course, _Shiro_ says we should wait to figure things out." Keith said bitterly, keeping his back towards her, his fists clenching. "Naturally, everyone agrees. He's always coming up with the plans. Always the one in control, always the one who knows just what to do and when to do it, _and I still don't!_"

At that last part, Keith whirled around to face Allura, who flinched upon seeing the anger in his eyes. Times like these it really showed he was indeed half Galra. They were known for their passionate aggression, but in Keith's case, it came from a place of frustration and uncertainty in himself.

Even Allura herself deals with insecurities. Both she and Keith were placed into leadership positions when they weren't ready for it. Neither mentally or emotionally. While Lance, Pidge and Hunk also had their own insecurities to deal with, none of them had to deal with this kind of baggage.

"Do you remember how upset I was when we lost the comet the first time?" Allura said, making Keith's angry slowly diminish. "I felt so guilty I didn't think anything could make up for it?"

"Yeah. And I said we would get it back, and I failed to keep my word."

"You haven't failed, Keith. And I don't fault for you for it."

"But I was supposed to be the leader. I was the one the Black Lion choose to lead you all, but now that Shiro's back why should I even bother?"

"Because the Black Lion has chosen you." Allura stated. "Besides, Lotor getting the comet was my fault, so don't don't go throwing all of the blame on yourself! I was the one who should have listened to you to begin with. You keep doubting yourself as a leader, but Keith, you are more of a leader than even you care to admit!"

"Words aren't enough to fix this, Allura! Not when it comes to your life and everyone else I care about!"

Allura folded her arms. "Okay, you don't want simple words of encouragement? Fine How about facts, then. Fact number one; when there is danger, you're always the first to react."

"That's just survival instinct." Keith insisted, but she kept going.

"Fact number two; When you're given a mission, you follow through it without hesitation, and you don't quit until your task is complete. Fact number three; During your last fight with Zarkon, when Shiro was out of commission, you were the one who rallied the team to protect him. You, nobody else. Fact number four: You gave an orphaned longma a second chance at a better life. It may be something small in comparison, but believe me, it made a world of different for Ember. Fact number five: Most recently, you were smart enough to use Lotor's own ship against him. And fact number six…"

Allura stepped closer and placed her hands on his shoulders. Her eyes sparkling. "You're the reason why I'm even awake right now. Why Voltron was found, and why there is still hope in the universe. Believe me, I understand how difficult being a leader has been for you, and maybe it hasn't been the most graceful of starts, but when I say you have what it takes, it's so much more than affectionate words. It's the truth."

Everything Allura said was indeed the truth. They were reminded to me a lot, and he truly wanted to believe these were all the proof he needed to be the leader Allura and everyone else believed him to be. Maybe having Shiro back after all this time would take some getting used to. Maybe there was still hope for him yet. He was still finding himself as a leader, maybe he wasn't as far off as he had feared?

Either way, once again, he was just happy to know that Allura would always believe in him, and not just because she was his girlfriend, but because she was honest with him.

"Honesty has always been one of your most admirable qualities." he said, earning a giggle from Allura. She was always so cute when she giggled he couldn't resist kissing her forehead.

(~)

While the paladins were able to sleep soundly, Shiro did not. He kept having flashes of his imprisonment, when his arm was taken, and even new memories of some kind of strange purple liquid filling up a tang, filling his lungs and yet he remembered still being able to breath. His traumatic experience did result in repetitive nightmares, but nothing like this before. The voices of his memories were muffled, but he did manage to hear one sentence….

"_Operation Kuron Stage One successful. Begin Stage Two…_"

Shiro sprung awake, screaming. His heart racing and his vision clouded. But once the nightmare was over, he couldn't remember any of the words he had just heard.

They were completely gone before he drifted off into a dreamless sleep. As if nothing had happened.


	28. Chapter 28

Lotor was many things. He was cunning. He was ruthless. He was cryptic. He was cocky. He was rebellious. But one thing he was not, was his father.

High Priestess Haggar had down everything within her power to watch over the young prince. If she had the choice, she would have chosen another to lead the Galra Empire while their one true leader laid half alive-half dead in an isolated chamber with tubes of quintessence into his body. The mysterious, yet powerful substance had sustained him for ten thousand years, but now they were merely keeping him in an indefinite coma. He lived, but death had not taken him. There was no certainty that either one or the other would be his fate.

Haggar worked every day, all hours of night and day. She never needed sleep before, and she certainly did not need it now. Her work did not go unnoticed by the other Galra who served their lord. Some were eager for Zarkon to rise up once again, while others were continuously trying to one up the other, and trying to find ways around Prince Lotor's flimsy rule, as when Zarkon truly did perish would one of them step up as Emperor or Empress.

The paladins saw Lotor was the successor of their enemy, but what the young heroes did not realize was Lotor did not necessarily inspire the same level of fear of loyalty as his father had once did. Granted, the handsome prince did manage to win some in his favor. His charisma and silver tongue had just as much results as his blade did.

Haggar knew all of this. She had known the boy since he was but a small bundle wrapped in a blanket, crying for its mother. Whomever she was, Haggar despised her. Some random mistress of Zarkon who no doubt had been sentenced to death when she did not give Zarkon a far more befitting heir to his throne. Never the less, Zarkon pitied the child so he kept him. Zarkon had never intended for Lotor to become his successor, for he never planned to die. But, as Galra law states, if the current Emperor is incapable to rule under any circumstance, then the next one in his bloodline would take the throne until further notice.

And Zarkon was nothing is not devoted to their laws. As was Haggar. But the time was growing short. Lotor seemed to be less and less active with the affairs of the Empire. Even going so far as to steal from one of their own bases. Day by day, Lotor caused more and more problems. He may have been able to outsmart the paladins, but he was a disgrace to their name. Nothing more than a mix-matched little brat who wanted to have his crown and make his own rules, which was not so.

The days felt like years. Zarkon slumbered as if he had already perished. The thought made Haggar's blood run cold. She cursed herself for even thinking of the possibility of there being an Empire without Zarkon. She had tried everything. All her tricks, all of her tests.

All… except for one.

The witch looked over her master. Even in slumber he scowled. "Forgive me, Sire. But I know not any other way."

Without hesitation, desperate and frightened, Haggar placed both hands on the sides of Zarkon's face, using the energy within herself to look into his mind. She hoped she would find a trace of his consciousness to wake him up. This was their last resort. If this didn't work, Haggar wasn't sure how she would survive after this.

"Your Empire needs you." she said. But, at the back of her mind, there heard another voice. Muffled, but ever so present. Haggar ignored it and doze into Zarkon's mind, searching his memories.

Sights of the Empire's innovation of Altea. The once beautiful planet being obliterated. King Alfor's death, as well as the death of the former paladins came into being within Haggar's own mind. She pushed past them like faceless people in a crowd, hurrying to get to her destination.

She slowed down when she more images she had not expected. Zarkon…. with the paladins… happy… brave… handsome… hand in hand with a beautiful maiden. An Altean woman in a wedding gown with eyes of amber and hair of violets. Her laughter rang in Haggar's ears. Suddenly that muffled voice from before became louder. Pushing, kicking its way to the forefront.

The witch gasped but proceeded with her task. One way or another, she was going to bring Zarkon back.

Or die trying.

(~)

The paladins recapped everything they had on Lotor. Or at least, every place in which they had encountered him. If there was going to be any chance at stoping him, the team needed to figure out exactly what the prince had planned.

"Here's another question." Pidge began, hand on her chin while studying the schematics of their last Lotor encounters. "Why was Voltron made out of the same material as that comet? What's so special about it?"

Keith noticed how Allura turned her gaze to the floor. "My father discovered another comet like that before I was born."

"Your father and Zarkon." Coran said in a low voice. Speaking of Altea's past always resulted in the normally hyperactive Altean to take on a level of seriousness.

"This was back when Zarkon was the Black Paladin?" Hunk asked.

"Before that. Before Alfor built the lions."

"Even I don't know all there is about the comet." Allura explained. "I was still very young, and by the time I was old enough nobody else did anymore studies on the comet. My father probably never wanted anyone else to know of the comet's secrets." the princess hung her head. "If he were here, he might be able to explain." she said sadly, while Keith placed a comforting hand on her shoulder.

"Well, we may not know too much about the comet," Coran continued, "But, perhaps there are some clues within the paladin's past."

Shiro saw the reluctance in both Alteans, and he knew better than anyone how difficult it was to have to relive a traumatic memory. But if Coran was right, then they just might have some advantage the next time they fight Lotor. Or at the very least understand his plan better.

"I know this is difficult to talk about, but if we're going to stop Lotor it's time we heard the rest of the story."

Coran turned to Allura, who nodded her head in approval. Keith's arm remained on her shoulder, holding her close. And so, Coran began the tale of the great paladins of old.

The original paladins were once five individual leaders of their respected planets; King Alfor of Altea, Zarkon of planet Daibazaal, Gyrgan from Rygnirath, Blaytz from Nalquod, and Trigel of the Dalterion Belt. Despite coming from vastly different cultures, and in some cases have been at war for centuries, managed to look pass their differences and formed a true alliance between them. This alliance would soon grow to become a strong bond of friendship between the leaders. Looking out for one another like brothers and sisters.

For many years, they fought side by side to rid the universe of those who would do their worlds harm. Coran even went to explain how King Alfor was quite the daredevil in those days, leaving Zarkon to often come to his rescue.

Shiro cracked a small smile and glanced over at Keith who, judging by the knowing grin he shared with Allura, was noticing the parallels as well. Even Lance found himself to gain a newfound admiration in the deceased King.

While all was well for a while, one cosmic event would change the course of their lives forever.

The old comrades were having dinner at Zarkon's palace when a mysterious comet fell from the sky and crash landed on Daibazaal, forming a massive crater where a strange golden substance appeared to be seeping through from the tear that formed on the planet's surface.

Alfor brought with his his team of Alchemists to try and decode the mystery of the comet, which was, according to Alfor, unlike anything they had ever seen. But from what he could gather was that the comet possessed some kind of material within it in which it could travel between realities.

What was once described by the ancient Altean sages, there existed multiple realities, infinite dimensions side by side. Some similar, some different. Each with their own history.

"And some are just downright weird." Lance said, interrupting the story for a moment. "One trip to an alternate reality is enough to last a lifetime."

Shiro shook his head in bewilderment. "Wait. You guys were in an Alternate Reality?"

"Oh, did we forget to mention that? Yeah, we did. And in that reality, Alteans defeated the Galra and ran a twisted Empire where they mind controlled other aliens to work for them. Also, Slav was less annoying, well a little less than normal, and you were Russian."

"Scandinavian." Pidge corrected. "And named after the reindeer from Frozen."

Shiro blinked, already feeling that headache coming back on. "Coran, pleas continue."

The Altean complied and proceeded to the part where King Alfor introduced Zarkon to one of his top Alchemists to lead the scientific expedition. A charming, and spunky young Altean woman by the name of Honerva.

It didn't take very long for the stoic leader of the Galra and the young Altean alchemist to fall in love. It was at that moment, Lance interrupted the story again.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, back up!" the red paladin waved his hands frantically. "Zarkon was married? To an Altean?!"

Even Keith was surprised and looked at Allura. "Wait, why haven't you mentioned that?"

"Trust me, this love story does not have a happy ending." Allura said, folding her arms in discomfort, but her eyes carried sadness.

"So, I guess you guys weren't the first Galra and Altean couple in history." Hunk said, scratched the back of his neck. "Kind of a bit of a let down."

"As I was saying," Coran proceeded. "King Alfor proceeded to study the comet's ore in his lab on Altea. As Honerva continued her research of the first on Daibazaal. But Alfor visited often as the years passed."

It was during that time when Allura had been born. Merely an infant, far too young to recall or even be aware of anything that was happening around her. Perhaps it was for the best given what would happen next.

King Alfor and Honerva had learned to harness the quintessence from the comet's ore to built ships which practically engineered themselves. For Alfor, it was both amazing as well as a tad frightening. Yet, the search for understanding continued on.

Honerva had changed over time. Once a headstrong, spirited woman passionate about science and discovery, became somewhat cold and so focused on her work she was practically a statue in front of her own computer screen. Throughout, Zarkon had been at her side, and he too began to show some strange signs of personally shift. While Alfor was more interested in using the quintessence as clean energy for the entire system, Zarkon was also excited about the idea of new, more powerful ships for the Galra Empire.

One day, Honerva had made a shocking discovery. The Altean, now Empress alongside her husband, had sent signals to the neighboring reality, where as trance black martial made its way through. She had stored the creature within a glass tube for further study. The sight of this dark mass made Alfor feel uneasy, and shocked. This was not part of their original plan, but Honerva insisted this was for science and science alone.

This philosophy would soon lead to their undoing. That one small creature was only the tip of the iceberg. From the rift came out horrifying creatures of darkness that came bursting like a geyser. They destroyed Honerva's lab, but thankfully all came out alive.

Honerva and King Alfor created a particle barrier around the crater to keep the creatures inside. But Zarkon feared it would not be enough, for the creatures would grow more and more and destroy his home.

Lucky for him, King Alfor had a plan. This was when he revealed to his friends the lions from the comet's ore. And, just like with the current paladins, the lions choose their respected paladin. Gyrgan was the yellow paladin, Blaytz was blue, Trigel was green, Alfor was red, and Zarkon was black.

The paladins united for the first time in history and fought side by side against the dark creatures, and just in time for the barrier had given way and the beasts escaped. Following Zarkon's leadership, the paladins fought with all of their might, despite never having flown the bests before.

It was only when all seemed lost when Alfor heard his lion speaking to him. The comforting roar which guided the paladins of both old and new informed him what to do. They all came together, fighting not and individual ships, but as all five halves of a single whole.

This was when Voltron first formed, which only appeared to anger the beast even more. The way it fought was as if it were attacking an old enemy. Using the sword, the paladins cut through the beast and it was destroyed at last.

After the fight was over, King Alfor knew there was only thing to make certain of the safety of all. They had to seal the rift for good. But Honerva was against it. Rather than blame the near destruction of the planet on the rift itself she blames it on the creatures. Creatures of which she had brought in through the rift.

Alfor tried to get her husband to help her see reason, but to the Altean's horrifying surprise, Zarkon was on Honerva's side. He had become so enchanted by the power they had gained with the creation of Voltron, he knew there was more to be uncovered if they continued to search and understand the rift even further. Alfor was appalled by Zarkon's decision.

_"You would risk your entire planet? The entire solar system, for what? For more power?"_

_"You know it's more than that."_

_"We already have Voltron, you have to know when it's enough."_

_"I'LL DECIDE WHAT IS ENOUGH ON MY PLANET!"_

Alfor knew he could not change Zarkon's mind. But that didn't stop them from working with the other paladins to establish a new era of peace and prosperity, with Voltron being established as the legend it is known today.

Years later, King Alfor, now much older, came to visit his old friend. The work on the rift continued on, he wondered if it would ever end. Daibazaal had since become pale. The planet's ecosystem was dying, and more and more earthquakes were being reported by the day. The people were suffering and the planet itself was crumbling from the inside out. Yet, Zarkon remained devoted to Honerva's work.

When Alfor saw Honerva again after so many years, she was not the same person he once knew. Her had grown paler, looking almost gray, and her eyes were now almost entirely gold, her hair had turned white, and her Altean markings had grown in side, reaching to her lower lip. Her entire appearance had become distorted. Even her old cat, Kova, whom she had treated with quintessence, was still alive after all this time. His appearance had warped as well, becoming more feral than he ever was.

From her own discovery, it was revealed that quintessence could be used for so much more than clean energy for ships. It could extend one's own life, make them immortal even, as Zarkon had placed it.

It was then Alfor had to come to tears with the reality he had long since been denying for so long. Zarkon was no longer the man he had considered his brother. He had become hungry for power, hungry for immorality, even suggesting to use Voltron to open up a gateway into the other reality.

Alfor always knew Zarkon was ambitious, but he always placed the needs of his people above his own. His good intentions had tipped the scales of his morality, becoming addicted to the study of this energy to the point he began to dismiss the needs of his own people.

This was the Zarkon Alfor knew, now was this the Honerva he knew. The quintessence, it was poisoning their minds. Seeping into their subconscious, warping their ambitions, their personalities.

That was the day their friendship had been broken for good. At least, that's what Alfor believed.

A few days later, Zarkon arrived on Altea with great remorse. He revealed Honerva had grown ill from the quintessence and his planet was dying even more. He pleaded to the others to help him close the rift using Voltron. His friends all agreed to help him out of the goodness of their hearts.

Tragically, Alfor was right the first time. The Zarkon they knew was no longer there. For the leader they had once trusted with their lives instead used them to get himself and Honerva into the rift, where the creatures of darkness attacked. The energy seeped into the couple as they screamed in agony and pain.

The paladins managed to pull them out of the rift, but only their bodies. Their lives had been lost due to the overexposure of quintessence. As a result, the rift had grown larger, further endangering the planet. King Alfor had the entire planet evacuated and he closed the rift the only way he knew how.

By destroying planet Daibazaal.

The Galra took refuge in Altea, where they held a state funeral for Zarkon and Honerva, but nobody could foresee what would happen next.

Zarkon had arose from the dead, and he was bent on revenge for the destruction of his home, the death of his wife, and the now enlarged hunger for quintessence.

Thus, the war began.

The Galra answered their leader's call for vengeance. The rest of the paladins, along with their planets and people perished in the bloodshed. Alfor sent the lions away where Zarkon wouldn't find them, then he killed Alfor, and finally Altea to avenge the destruction of his home world. To this day, Zarkon continues the quest for Voltron, in order to open a new rift to obtain the quintessence he so desires.

The pieces were now, finally, coming together.

"So that's Lotor's plan." Pidge said, "To cross into other universes and get the purest quintessence possible."

"No matter what, we have to stop him." Keith said. Everyone else nodded in agreement. Now they had a clear view on what Lotor's ultimate goal was. Now, they only needed to figure out how to stop him from accomplishing it.

(~)

Allura and Keith were the only ones left in the control room. The two sat side by side, gazing at the stars together. As they did so, they imagined what the universe would be like once Lotor, and as a result the Galra Empire, was no more. Would times be like they were before Zarkon became evil? Would the current paladins really usher in a new era of peace an prosperity as their predecessors?

It was possible. So long as they kept on fighting.

"I'm sorry I never mentioned about Zarkon and Honerva." Allura said, once again, sounding as remorseful as she after Lotor gained the comet.

"Why? It doesn't change anything." Keith said.

"So, you're not disturbed by the fact that the last Galra and Altean romance didn't end in happily ever after?"

"We're not like them, Allura. You said so yourself, I may share the same blood as the Galra, but I don't share their mistakes. You really think we're going to start treating you differently just because one Altean alchemist became addicted to quintessence and lost her mind?"

Allura suddenly gasped and got back up on her feet. "No!"

"Hey, relax, you're not going to turn crazy."

"No, no, not that! Haggar!"

"What about--" Keith froze, putting the pieces together. "No."

"Think about it. She's Altean, and she's devoted to Zarkon. Aside from me and Coran, all other Alteans are gone, but she still remains. Besides, how else do you explain an Altean still being alive after ten thousand years? Coran and I had been asleep for that time, but Haggar has been serving Zarkon for just as long. What other explanation could there be?"

Keith stood up as well, rubbing the back of his neck. "No, she never really died. She became corrupted by the quintessence just like Zarkon did. Which means, if Haggar is Honerva, and Lotor is Zarkon's son, then that means…"

Allura's eyes grew even wider. " Lotor… could be half Altean!"

"Unless Zarkon had a few mistresses." Keith muttered with a bitter tone, only to have Allura punch him in the arm.

"Keith, I'm being serious!"

"So am I! The guy's evil now, can't get anymore evil than cheating on your wife!"

"Even for Zarkon, that's crossing it. He truly loved Honerva if he was willing to go into the rift to save her life. Granted, it backfired, but still."

"So, romantic in the most twisted, sickly way possible."

"A very accurate description if I ever heard one."

Keith rubbed his arm then sighed. "Okay, so we're dealing with a half Galra, half Altean prince, and his Altean witch mother. And I thought my family had issues."

Allura knew it was impolite, but Keith's deadpan tone managed to make her chuckle a bit. She sucked in her lips to try and save herself, but Keith had already caught her. He chuckled as well then tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear. She held his hand, which still cupped her cheek.

"Keith, can you promise me something?"

"Anything."

"If on the off chance I ever become a crazy, obsessed nut-case, promise you won't hesitate to pull be back from the depths. Drag me kicking and screaming if you must."

Keith couldn't resist laughing. "Okay, but I doubt that's going to happen."

"Even if so, now that I've relived the story, I realize the war began because of one foolish woman's ambition." Allura hung her head in regret. "Perhaps if Zarkon had known when it was necessary to disagree with her--"

"Or maybe, Zarkon was just as ambitious and curious as Honerva was." Keith pointed out. "Maybe he didn't disagree with her because he didn't believe there was a reason to." he walked closer and pressed his forehead against hers. "But, if it makes you feel better, I will keep that promise."

Allura smiled and blushed as he cupped her face with his hands and leaned in for a kiss. Her hands resting against his chest and the stars shinned brighter.

It was probably silly for her to ask that of Keith. Allura wasn't like Honerva. Allura may be passionate and curious, and yes she had allowed her own emotions cloud her judgment. But, thankfully, Keith had enough cynicism and was down-to-earth enough to know when something was off. She was grateful that while she and Keith were very similar in a lot fo aspects, they also had enough differences which had greatly influenced each other in a positive way.

If studied closer, the opposites attract concept had a lot of logical sense, just as much as the contrast did.

There was no telling what the future would take them from here on out. Things were vastly different now. Zarkon was gone, but now Lotor was scheming as they stood there. The paladins had finally gotten used to the change in the status quo, but now Shiro had returned unexpectedly early, so now the leadership position was rather murky at this point.

Keith was still uncertain. If he truly did have the qualities of a leader as Allura and many others have stated, would he be able to still be a leader with Shiro around? Would he feel he would need to compete with Shiro now? He couldn't compete with his best friend, let alone would he wish to.

So many discoveries, and so many news ones popping up. New allies, and new enemies, as well as new struggles. Both externally and internally. Regardless of what was to come, one thing was certain.

The story of the paladins was not over yet. The legacy of Voltron had risen from the ashes and has brought hope to those who have lost it in the hands of the Galra. This poisonous reign will end one day, so long as the paladins kept on fighting, keeping the memory of Alfor and his teammates alive.

And perhaps, just perhaps, the love story between a Galra and an Altean could indeed have a happy ending after all.

(~)

Haggar gasped and fell to her knees. She saw it all. She felt it all. She remembered it all. First the first time, she felt a warmth in her heart. One she had not felt in so long. One she never realized she had missed until now.

"Husband… how could I have forgotten? You brought me back to life long ago." she stood back up and caressed her husband's face. "Now… come back for me."

A smile formed on her face for the first time in ten thousand years when her husband's eyes opened once again. Only, rather than see the warm, kind eyes of her beloved from long ago, she saw the glowing purple eyes of the current lord of the Galra Empire.

His story was far from over.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What? You didn’t think this was the end of the story...  
Did you? ;)


End file.
